Aditya Birla Group-owned Idea Cellular has extended its VoLTE (Voice Over LTE) presence in India with service in nine new telecom circles. The circles include Punjab, Mumbai, West Bengal, Haryana, Karnataka, UP East, UP West, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan.
The company has already rolled out VoLTE services in six circles earlier this month. The circles include Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Chattisgarh. Idea had earlier tested its VoLTE services among its employees prior to the rollout in March this year.
As a limited period offer, the company is also offering 30GB of free data to users who opt for VoLTE services upgrading from 3G or 2G. Interestingly, this is 20GB more than the initially allotted 10GB during the first phase of the rollout in six circles.
As per the offer, customers will receive 10GB of data after upgrading to Idea VoLTE services and making the first call. They will be credited with 10GB more data after providing feedback about the service in 4 weeks. The final quota of 10GB will be credited after providing feedback in 8 weeks time. Idea has also claimed that all its customers will be automatically shifted to 3G or 2G modes in circles where VoLTE services are not available. The company will be using Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC) technology to provide seamless mobile network coverage in all the circles.
“Idea customers across 15 markets will now be able to experience High Definition voice calls on VoLTE. In addition to network expansion, Idea has been focused at providing attractive voice and data plans for postpaid and prepaid customers along with forging partnerships with handset makers to bring superior quality devices at affordable prices for Idea customers to enjoy high-speed 4G data and superior voice experience on VoLTE.” said Sashi Shankar, Chief Marketing Officer, Idea Cellular while announcing the launch.