1xrtt Advanced vs VoLTE

[Arysyn]

Hi everyone,

 

I just wrote a very long post elsewhere on the forum. I didn't realize was so long until I posted it seeing in long form. I'm on a strong bit of pain medication which sometimes causes me to keep on writing even longer than normal, which i realize is becoming a problem. I'm really going to make a better effort of this from now on.

 

Starting with this thread, I'll try...

 

I was reading an article somewhere online yesterday, where people in the comments section were debating over which was better,, 1xrtt Advanced or VoLTE, but they didn't give much detail about it, other than Sprint has decided to use 1xrtt Advanced. I already know quite a bit about VoLTE, but nothing about 1xrtt Advanced. Could you please inform me about it, and what the differences are between it and VoLTE.

 

Post done, yes!!!

[Ascertion]

I was reading an article somewhere online yesterday, where people in the comments section were debating over which was better,, 1xrtt Advanced or VoLTE, but they didn't give much detail about it, other than Sprint has decided to use 1xrtt Advanced. I already know quite a bit about VoLTE, but nothing about 1xrtt Advanced. Could you please inform me about it, and what the differences are between it and VoLTE.

 

Post done, yes!!!

The pros to 1x Adv compared to VoLTE

- More reliable signal (not as fragile an airlink as LTE.)

- more readily available (Verizon/Sprint's 1x network is already built out, whereas LTE is lacking in major parts of the U.S. still.)

 

The cons to 1x Adv compared to VoLTE

- eCSFB devices use only one RF path, so there's no talking on the phone while browsing the web.

- VoLTE has capabilities to use higher bitrates for data transfer, so it's more likely to have better voice quality. (You're still at the mercy of the other person's carrier bitrate.)

 

Those are the basics I know, I'm sure somebody else can chime in on more of the advanced differences.

[gusherb]

In real world use 1x Advanced is definitely more reliable then VoLTE. Sound quality is not as good as VoLTE, being I often experienced some garbling and robotic sounds that always reminded me that I'm on CDMA.

 

Beyond that I think it becomes an argument over who thinks which voice codecs are better. I personally thought EVRC-NW in HD mode sounded tinny and unreal. AMR-WB 12.6 (on VoLTE) sounds very natural to me.

[greenbastard]

For anyone familiar with VoLTE...will voice calls still work the same with an extremely weak LTE signal as it would with a strong LTE signal? Or will we see degraded voice quality?

 

I ask this because I've read of people missing phone calls through eCSFB (I know both are nowhere near the same thing) when their phone holds on to a weak LTE signal. B41 is still able to send and receive texts/calls just fine even when it sits at -128 dBm on my phone (internet is just extremely slow). Will a VoLTE phone call work as well with this weak of a signal?

[travismheim]

For anyone familiar with VoLTE...will voice calls still work the same with an extremely weak LTE signal as it would with a strong LTE signal? Or will we see degraded voice quality?

 

I ask this because I've read of people missing phone calls through eCSFB (I know both are nowhere near the same thing) when their phone holds on to a weak LTE signal. B41 is still able to send and receive texts/calls just fine even when it sits at -128 dBm on my phone (internet is just extremely slow). Will a VoLTE phone call work as well with this weak of a signal?

Using a LG G2 on Verizon, the VoLTE call will usually drop when the signal gets that low, just as I start to have problems on Sprint or Verizon CDMA when the signal gets much below -105. The difference I have noticed is, on CDMA the call will start to garble a bit but stay connected while on VoLTE the call will stay clear and then drop without much warning.

[IamMrFamous07]

Will Sprint's iPhone 6 and 6 plus support VOLTE?

[gusherb]

Will Sprint's iPhone 6 and 6 plus support VOLTE?

It does on the other three carriers. But who knows with Sprint... I'd say it should when they finally enable it but I won't hold my breath.

[gusherb]

For anyone familiar with VoLTE...will voice calls still work the same with an extremely weak LTE signal as it would with a strong LTE signal? Or will we see degraded voice quality?

 

I ask this because I've read of people missing phone calls through eCSFB (I know both are nowhere near the same thing) when their phone holds on to a weak LTE signal. B41 is still able to send and receive texts/calls just fine even when it sits at -128 dBm on my phone (internet is just extremely slow). Will a VoLTE phone call work as well with this weak of a signal?

I've noticed at times with AT&T that if the signal is weaker then -115 it will switch over to UMTS if I attempt to make a call.

I think it can hold a call fine all the way to -118 db and won't drop it til some insanely low level like -123 at least. All the while it's not breaking up or anything. It's supposed to handoff when LTE becomes too weak but it's always dropped for me probably because UMTS was weak too. I had a successful handoff to UMTS when I crossed out of a VoLTE territory on the highway once though.

[Paynefanbro]

I've noticed at times with AT&T that if the signal is weaker then -115 it will switch over to UMTS if I attempt to make a call.

I think it can hold a call fine all the way to -118 db and won't drop it til some insanely low level like -123 at least. All the while it's not breaking up or anything. It's supposed to handoff when LTE becomes too weak but it's always dropped for me probably because UMTS was weak too. I had a successful handoff to UMTS when I crossed out of a VoLTE territory on the highway once though.

 

If the phone could hold a clear VoLTE call down to that signal level then I think Sprint would be in a good position in many cities to launch VoLTE. However, I think Sprint would like to nearly match their existing 3G footprint indoors and out before they launch it.

[WiWavelength]

I've noticed at times with AT&T that if the signal is weaker then -115 it will switch over to UMTS if I attempt to make a call.

I think it can hold a call fine all the way to -118 db and won't drop it til some insanely low level like -123 at least. All the while it's not breaking up or anything. It's supposed to handoff when LTE becomes too weak but it's always dropped for me probably because UMTS was weak too.

 

First, please remember to refer to it properly as W-CDMA.  Always remind the GSM zealots, who hate to admit that their 3G solution is heavily based on Qualcomm's cdmaOne and CDMA2000.

 

Now, you are located in the Gary, IN market, where AT&T is band 17 LTE 700 and band 5 W-CDMA 850.  In real world path loss, that 700 MHz has roughly a 3 dB advantage over 850 MHz.  So, that can at least partly explain why your W-CDMA signal is also weak -- even though W-CDMA can be a much more robust signal.

 

AJ

[gusherb]

If the phone could hold a clear VoLTE call down to that signal level then I think Sprint would be in a good position in many cities to launch VoLTE. However, I think Sprint would like to nearly match their existing 3G footprint indoors and out before they launch it.

 

They definitely will be when they get the LTE drop issues solved. If they enable VoLTE before then it'll be dropped call bonanza. In my market there is physically no reason they can't match their 3G footprint almost exactly at this time, just technical/logistical/etc issues I guess.

 

 

First, please remember to refer to it properly as W-CDMA. Always remind the GSM zealots, who hate to admit that their 3G solution is heavily based on Qualcomm's cdmaOne and CDMA2000.

 

Now, you are located in the Gary, IN market, where AT&T is band 17 LTE 700 and band 5 W-CDMA 850. In real world path loss, that 700 MHz has roughly a 3 dB advantage over 850 MHz. So, that can at least partly explain why your W-CDMA signal is also weak -- even though W-CDMA can be a much more robust signal.

 

AJ

At least I said my call went out over UMTS and not HSPA! Hahaha.

 

Ever since sometime after the launch of VoLTE or toward the end of last year they've managed to tune their network to fill in all the gaps that used to be places where you'd lose LTE. Ever since then I've noticed B17 LTE hanging on nearly as long as 850 WCDMA would, in some places better actually. (Though that has been the exception and not the rule).

And 1900 WCDMA in my experience is definitely weaker then B17 LTE.

 

As for making LTE work seamlessly and VoLTE flawlessly even at weak signal strength, if at&t and T-Mobile can pull it off in my market then any failure to do so on Sprints part is incompetence IMO. But I hope they can pull it off as I love the competition, the options, and would hate to see things like they were back 3-5 years ago.

[Paynefanbro]

As for making LTE work seamlessly and VoLTE flawlessly even at weak signal strength, if at&t and T-Mobile can pull it off in my market then any failure to do so on Sprints part is incompetence IMO. But I hope they can pull it off as I love the competition, the options, and would hate to see things like they were back 3-5 years ago.

 

I feel like part of the reason why they're able to do it is that they have eSRVCC so that they can handoff to UMTS. Sprint and Verizon don't really have that option so if they drop off of LTE, they'll drop the call altogether.

[lilotimz]

I feel like part of the reason why they're able to do it is that they have eSRVCC so that they can handoff to UMTS. Sprint and Verizon don't really have that option so if they drop off of LTE, they'll drop the call altogether.

^ that's why.

 

Verizon completely drops the call when they lose lte coverage and it happens so frequently that one of the recommended fixes is to turn off VOLTE.

 

Sprint faces the same issue with the prospect of an even weaker network with more lte coverage holes. Dropped calls will be probably just as bad as the Motorola sprint NV conversion days if they don't have the VOLTE to 1x handoff figured out.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5

[radem]

8 page PDF on Ericson enabling Voice Call Continuity between LTE and CMDA that I found on Google.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=13&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCsQFjACOAo&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdg.org%2Fnews%2Fevents%2Fwebinar%2F120828_cdma-lte-roaming%2FEricsson-Enabling%2520CDMA-LTE%2520Interworking%2520-%252011.pdf&ei=hx9ZVbT0HYXYoASghIKYAw&usg=AFQjCNF7e1ZtoNaMp21S0diKBsyntaHbHA&sig2=jAOwaUgxx6N_eX-AbZVktg&bvm=bv.93564037,d.cGU