Five-fold drop in 3G voice calls on US networks following launch of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, as Apple device triggers consumer uptake of VoLTE

Voice calling over 3G on Apple’s new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices in the US has dropped sharply across mobile networks across the country to one-fifth of that on previous iPhone models, as users adopt voice over LTE (VoLTE) services. 

The analysis is based on data generated by Newfield Wireless’ TrueCall platform, which provides network visibility and real time information for assessment of the delivery and performance of VoLTE. 

The majority of voice calls made on other 4G-enabled devices are currently routed through legacy 2G and 3G networks, due to the fact that not all networks and devices are optimised to deliver next generation voice services, said Newfield Wireless, a Tektronix Communications company and provider of next generation radio access network (RAN) geoanalytics.

However, iPhone 6 devices are VoLTE-compatible and as a result, US networks have experienced a surge in VoLTE calls since the September launch.

This consumer adoption indicates a growing customer appetite for enhanced voice calls. Operators worldwide are now investing heavily in VoLTE services and there are a number of live commercial deployments. The uptake in VoLTE driven by the new iPhones should act as an incentive to other manufacturers to adopt a ‘VoLTE First’ strategy and launch their own compatible devices, stated Marc Bensadoun, CEO of Newfield Wireless.

Bensadoun explained: “Overall call volumes have remained consistent, but 3G voice minutes have fallen considerably as a result of the uptake of 4G voice services, or VoLTE. The uptake of VoLTE calls has been triggered by the launch of the iPhone 6, and it demonstrates people like to try new services and have a desire for better quality calls. In fact, our data shows that many customers in the US are now taking advantage of LTE, using their new iPhones to simultaneously enjoy LTE data and voice services on 4G networks.

“VoLTE has quickly had a network impact, and this trend is set to continue as more operators improve their LTE networks and add new features, such as video calling. This is just the beginning as we anticipate VoLTE will become a standard feature on all 4G-enabled devices, eventually eliminating the need for operators to maintain multiple networks,” he added. 

In addition to identifying the decline in 3G voice calls on networks and the subsequent uptake of VoLTE, analysis of TrueCall data also revealed that in the US on average, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users are already consuming more 4G data than users on all iPhone 5 devices.

Also, the number of iPhone 6 handsets active on mobile networks is five times the number of iPhone 6 Plus devices, and the majority of iPhone 6 handsets that have appeared on mobile networks have been direct replacements of iPhone 5 devices.

Migration to VoLTE allows operators to drive network efficiencies and eliminate the need for a separate network to support voice traffic. TrueCall provides operators with the pre and post-launch network visibility and real time intelligence needed to implement VoLTE successfully, ensuring customers are switched on to this new and rapidly growing service.