eir Introduces ‘4G Calling’ Voice over LTE (VoLTE)

February 17th 2021 eir, the principal provider of fixed-line and mobile telecommunications services in Ireland, has today announced the introduction of 4G Calling. The new Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) service will enable eir customers to start a call over WiFi in their home or business premises and then seamlessly move that call outside onto the eir mobile network. eir was the first operator to introduce WiFi Calling to Ireland in 2017, with 4G Calling becoming the next step in the evolution of this service. Its delivery has been made possible by eir’s ongoing €150 million mobile network transformation programme. The introduction of 4G Calling will provide a much richer experience for eir customers, as more data can be transferred over 4G networks in comparison to 2G or 3G networks, maintaining HD voice quality at all times. 

4G Calling enables customers to effortlessly switch between WiFi Calling at home and 4G Calling on the move, meaning that voice calls that are started over WiFi can continue outside, transferring to the mobile network automatically and without interruption, preventing calls from dropping. Other benefits of 4G Calling include faster call connection, twice the speed of 3G calls, and six times faster than those found on 2G calls, as well as improved call quality, delivering a more streamlined experience for the end user. A big benefit for customers is that 4G Calling allows multimedia operations to work simultaneously making multitasking possible. During a call users can send emails, browse the Internet, watch videos, without disruption using their mobile data. 

Guillaume Duhaze Chief Technology Officer, eir, states; “We have seen data usage on eir’s mobile network increase by over 80% since the beginning of the pandemic. Not only this, but we have also seen voice communications growing in importance due to new ways of working, and living. At eir, we know the vital role voice connectivity plays in business and daily life, and we are focused on improving call quality for all our customers. As we continue to enhance our mobile network nationwide,including extending mobile coverage with improved data speeds, we are dedicated to making all the benefits of eir’s mobile network available to our customers everywhere throughout Ireland. 4G Calling will deliver real and instant improvements for customers including noticeably sharper calls and as this technology does not require the installation of apps, it is easy to use. Once 4G Calling is enabled on a device it will automatically select 4G Calling when the customer connects to eir’s 4G network. We are delighted to bring this service to eir’s mobile customers and we are proud to help people stay connected.” 

4G Calling is available on selected eir mobile plans and on a range of Samsung and OPPO devices.4G calling can be manually activated on all Apple devices with iOS 13 or later. To learn more visit https://www.eir.ie/mobile/network/