Etisalat Misr will offer customers voice calls over its 4G network, meaning calls can connect up to five times faster than over legacy networks, it said.
Swedish vendor Ericsson also claims the service offers better quality calls with less background noise. Customers will also be able to simultaneously use their 4G data connections while making calls.
Khalid Murshed, Etisalat Misr's Chief Technology Officer, says: "Our strategic partnership with Ericsson has a significant and clear purpose. We want to make our Customers satisfied through advanced cellular communication, innovation and efficient services. We are ushering in the future of mobile communications and users will immensely benefit from incorporating the best-in-class voice calling functionality."
The company claims it is the first of Egypt’s operators, which also include Telecom Egypt, Vodafone and Orange, to launch VoLTE. 4G services in the country launched around a year ago, following a number of licensing disputes with the Egyptian regulators.
Globally, the number of VoLTE subscriptions is projected to reach 5.4 billion by the end of 2023, accounting for around 80 percent of combined LTE and 5G subscriptions, according to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report.
Rafiah Ibrahim, Head of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, says: "Our longstanding cooperation with Etisalat has generated extensive benefits for both parties and supported continued growth and development. Mobile users are actively seeking better ways to communicate that make an immediate, accurate, and lasting connection.
“This new launch is another step in our journey to support network operators to innovate on all fronts ensuring unparalleled communication to stay relevant to their customers."
