PCCW Owned UK Broadband Moots Launch of 4G Voice Service VoLTE

The sibling of Hong Kong based telecoms firm PCCW, UK Broadband (UKB), has hinted that its fixed wireless 4G (3.5/3.6GHz LTE) broadband network could potentially launch Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) support onto its platform.

UK Broadband were the first to launch a 4G network in the United Kingdom (here) but it’s a fixed wireless platform, as opposed to a mobile broadband one, that is designed to provide specific services to homes and businesses in certain parts of England (e.g. Swindon and Southwark in London). The services are typically offered through UKB’s own ISP, Now, as well as several wholesale providers.

The CTO of UKB, Philip Marnick, is reported to have told yesterday’s Total Telecom’s Network Management Show that he’s supportive of VoLTE and his UK network will “follow market demand“, before adding that “people expect to talk” (spoken with a smile).

Last year the operator said that it also intended to launch a Huawei-based Smartphone by mid-2013 but nothing ever materialised. Indeed UKB’s network isn’t ideal as a mobile platform (tiny coverage with poor reach). The firm would thus need to reach a roaming agreement with one of the other networks, which so far hasn’t happened.