Indian telecom operator Airtel has announced the launch of its 4G VoLTE service in the country. The operator was earlier only providing 4G data support and using 3G/ 2G networks for voice calling. VoLTE service allows high-definition voice calls as well as faster call connection time.

“This is a significant milestone in Airtel’s network transformation journey under Project Leap. Airtel has built a world-class 4G network across India and with the VoLTE compatible device ecosystem beginning to mature, we believe it’s the right time to enable VoLTE calling as part of our service portfolio,” said Abhay Savargaonkar, Director – Networks, Bharti Airtel.

The VoLTE service is initially going live in Mumbai circle, but will be rolled out to other telecom circles in the coming months.

“Over the next few months, we will rapidly accelerate the deployment of VoLTE to cover all key geographies to bring HD quality calling to our customers. We keenly look forward to our device partners enabling Airtel VoLTE on their smartphones,” added Savargaonkar.

How to use Airtel VoLTE:

According to Airtel, you will need a compatible 4G smartphone with VoLTE support to use the carrier’s new service. It has published a webpage with certified popular smartphone, where you can check if your device supports Airtel VoTE or not. Here are some supported phones – Samsung J700 / A800/J2 Pro/J2 2016; Xiaomi MiMax Prime / Redmi Note 4 / Mimax / Mi5; Gionee A1, Oppo F3 plus and iPhone SE / 6 /6plus/ 6S / 6S plus/7/7plus.

If your smartphone doesn’t support Airtel’s VoLTE but has VoLTE support, chances are that the device manufacturer will release a small software update to enable the feature. Keep an eye out for such updates.