Advancements in mobility offer promise for companies seeking to capitalize on the market. Whether the use of mobility is for internal demands or an opportunity for revenue generation, there is an increased focus on RCS VoLTE. The potential in better voice communications across multiple platforms is attractive to both providers and users, yet full availability is still fleeting. While mainstream may be ready, operators continue to struggle with complete deployment and support.
Still, operators are committed to investing in and building 4G LTE (News - Alert) networks, which has propelled RCS VoLTE to a level of technology that is market-ready. In a market where VoLTE was once only attempted with baby steps, carriers are now taking giant leaps forward. Reliability testing is still taking place and delays are likely to still occur, yet the advancements in this space bring promise for those who are holding out for the next phase.
A recent Wireless Week (News - Alert) post examined this potential and how RCS VoLTE will enter the market. Citing an iGR study on the impact VoLTE will have on the consumer base, the Wireless Week writer highlighted the assumption that consumers will benefit from VoLTE as it will enable new multimedia products and services. By focusing on the mass consumer market, operators can shore up their opportunity to recoup LTE investments.
But consumes aren’t likely to make a switch simply because there is a promise of better call quality. After all, consumers are using voice communications less and other channels more for interacting and completing transactions. The improvements in RCS VoLTE won’t be measurable enough to generate a large shift. If the new network launches without reliability testing and calls are dropped, we will see a significant shift away from these networks.
Consumers are finicky and hard to wow in today’s mobile obsessed society. The best path for mobile operators, according to Wireless Week is through the enterprise sector. The challenge here is that it is a much tougher nut to crack. Operators who want to dominate in this space will have to set themselves apart in a way that is more noticeable than the typical operator. Value will have to be clear and measurable, attractive enough that the enterprise that does not adopt will be hard pressed to find its competitive advantage.
This is the key to realizing potential it the RCS VoLTE market in a way that will generate the revenues needed to justify investments. Still, the operator will have to adopt a strategy that is both aggressive and proven to make the impact necessary to shift trends and generate an impact. It can be done and enterprises want better mobile support as they adopt Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) strategies. They also want unified communications with the high quality to match market expectations. As a result the operator able to demonstrate reliability at this level will likely lead in adoption.
Edited by Alisen Downey