Comments on: How Verizon LTE Phones Could Offer Simultaneous Voice and Data

By: Tech guy

Tech guy — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 07:17:32 +0000

Talking of tech things… CDMA 1X-RTT is 3g, FYI

By: Alain Joseph

Alain Joseph — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 14:40:26 +0000

If you want to know what will be the impact on Verizon, read this: AT&T has data and voice capabilities, will Verizon finally? http://exm.nr/h7bHXi

By: Kevin C. Tofel

Kevin C. Tofel — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:28:40 +0000

That’s essentially what the leaked slide says, but not with EVDO and 1xRTT; instead, it would likely be with LTE and 1xRTT. They could go with SVOD on legacy, but I’m thinking it’s not likely at this point. Why wouldn’t they have done it before, is what I’m wondering. ;)

By: Derek Morr

Derek Morr — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:22:28 +0000

I wonder if Verizon plans to support SVDO. That would let the handset maintain two connections to the tower – an EVDO session for data and a 1xRTT session for voice.

By: Russ

Russ — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 07:04:03 +0000

Ya want simultaneous voice and data on Verizon Wireless via a Smartphone or datacard ? No problem: it’s called VoIP.

By: Kevin C. Tofel

Kevin C. Tofel — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:02:12 +0000

I’d say anyone familiar with MetroPCS who launched LTE before Verizon in the U.S. – their LTE handsets can’t do voice and data simultaneously, even in areas of LTE coverage. ;)

By: richtheprick

richtheprick — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:59:48 +0000

Duh. Who didn’t figure this out already?

By: SteveNYC

SteveNYC — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:40:25 +0000

“…you’ll only be able to talk and surf on such devices where you have both 3G and LTE coverage.”

Technically, voice calls on Verizon (and Sprint) don’t take place on 3G (hence EvDO Evolution Data Only) at all. The phone drops into 2G (1xRTT) to make the call. That’s why the data connection is suspended while the call is in progress.

But realistically, yeah, it would likely still have a 3G capability since LTE penetration is going to be lower than 3G penetration for at least a couple of years. No one is going to accept dropping from LTE to 2G (1xRTT).

Still though, the idea of two cellular radios going at the same time? That’s got to be one hell of a hit to the battery. I can’t help but wonder if there’s not another explanation here.

By: Ricky B

Ricky B — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:35:25 +0000

For me, the biggest appeal is being able to USE that phone as a hotspot and still take a call. :)

By: Pierre

Pierre — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:42:06 +0000

LTE has a feature called CS (Circuit Switched) fallback, where the handset will revert back to 3G when paged for a voice call. This implies 2 radios necessarily, but I expect most handsets to support 3G and LTE radios. Outgoing voice calls will always go to 3G. If simultaneous voice and data calls are possible, both the network and the handset have to support CS fallback, and not just have two radios. Apparently, the VZW network supports it.

This feature is specific to 3G 3GPP (UMTS, like what ATTWS has) though, but they may have a parallel solution for CDMA.

VoLTE will only be fully cooked and implemented in Release 9 of LTE, which is in development and QA labs now.