BH Telecom is taking an important step in modern roaming. From 18 May 2026, its mobile users can use VoLTE roaming, starting on the Bell network in Canada. From 28 May 2026, the service will also be available on T-Mobile in the United States.

That may sound like a technical update, but it is actually quite practical. For travellers, roaming is usually judged by one simple question: does the phone work when I land? For years, the answer depended mostly on mobile data. Could you open maps? Send a WhatsApp message? Check your hotel booking? But voice is becoming a bigger issue again, especially in countries where older 2G and 3G networks are being shut down.

VoLTE roaming is BH Telecom’s answer to that shift. It allows voice calls abroad to run over 4G and 5G networks, instead of relying on older mobile voice systems. The result should be clearer calls, faster call setup and a more stable experience when travelling in supported markets.

What VoLTE roaming means

VoLTE stands for Voice over LTE. In simple terms, it means your phone call travels over the 4G network, not over older 2G or 3G voice technology. The GSMA treats VoLTE as the industry’s standard path for delivering voice over LTE networks, and it has a dedicated workstream for VoLTE roaming because the transition is now a major roaming issue.

VoLTE roaming takes that same service abroad. When a BH Telecom customer is in a country where BH Telecom has a commercial VoLTE roaming agreement, the user can make and receive voice calls using the visited operator’s 4G network.

READ MORE: BH Telecom quietly raises the bar for tourist SIMs in the Balkans

For the user, the difference is easy to understand. Calls usually connect faster. Audio sounds cleaner. The phone can continue using mobile internet while the call is active. In supported cases, VoLTE also enables video calling through ViLTE. Another practical benefit is battery efficiency, because the device does not need to keep switching down to older network layers just to handle a voice call.

This is one of those telecom upgrades people may not notice when everything works. But they absolutely notice when it is missing.

Why it matters now

The bigger story is the global shutdown of 2G and 3G networks. Many operators are retiring older networks and reusing that spectrum for 4G and 5G. That creates a problem for roaming. If a visited country no longer has 3G, and the home operator has not enabled VoLTE roaming, voice calling can become unreliable or unavailable.

This is especially relevant in North America. The US has already gone through major 3G shutdowns, and the FCC has warned consumers about the impact of 3G phase-outs on older devices and services.

So BH Telecom’s move is not just about better sound quality. It is about keeping roaming voice services alive in markets where the old fallback networks are disappearing.

That is why VoLTE roaming has become a serious operator priority. It is not a luxury feature anymore. It is part of the basic roaming infrastructure needed for the 4G and 5G era.

Who can use it

BH Telecom says VoLTE roaming will be available to users of its mobile network, including postpaid, prepaid and hybrid payment users, in networks where BH Telecom has established commercial VoLTE roaming.

At launch, this means Bell in Canada from 18 May 2026, followed by T-Mobile in the US from 28 May 2026.

READ MORE: BH Telecom Expands Roaming Data Across Western Balkans

There is one thing users should understand: VoLTE roaming does not work everywhere automatically. It depends on several things working together. The home operator must support it. The visited operator must support it. The two operators must have the right agreement in place. The phone must support VoLTE. And the service usually needs to be enabled in the device settings.

That sounds more complicated than it feels in practice, but it is worth checking before travelling. Especially if the trip includes the US or Canada, where older voice fallback options are much more limited than they used to be.

How charging works

BH Telecom is keeping the charging model simple. When users make calls via VoLTE roaming, standard roaming voice prices apply. That includes voice traffic within relevant Travel packages, such as voice traffic included in Travel Mix packages.

One detail is important: VoLTE voice traffic is not deducted from the internet allowance included in Travel packages. Even though VoLTE uses IP technology, commercially it is still treated as a voice call, not normal mobile data.

There is one exception users should note. For prepaid and hybrid customers who activate call forwarding for all calls while roaming, a forwarded incoming call will be charged as an outgoing roaming call to the number where the call is forwarded. That is a very specific case, but it matters for people who use forwarding for work or travel convenience.

The market direction

BH Telecom is not alone in moving this way. The entire roaming market is being pushed toward VoLTE because older networks are disappearing. Operators that still depend on 2G or 3G fallback for roaming voice will face more gaps over time.

This is also where traditional mobile operators still have an advantage over many travel eSIM brands. Most travel eSIMs are excellent for mobile data, but many are data-only. They do not replace your primary mobile number, native voice calling or operator-level roaming services.

That makes VoLTE roaming strategically important. It keeps the operator’s core voice relationship relevant, even as travellers increasingly buy separate eSIMs for cheaper data.

Conclusion

BH Telecom’s VoLTE roaming launch is not a flashy announcement, but it is a meaningful one. It shows that roaming is moving from old voice infrastructure to modern IP-based mobile networks.

For customers, the benefit is simple: clearer calls, faster connections, and better reliability abroad. For BH Telecom, the bigger value is future-proofing. As 2G and 3G networks continue to disappear, voice roaming will increasingly depend on VoLTE.

The direction is clear. Data eSIMs may win many price-sensitive travel use cases, but native operator voice still matters. Especially for banking calls, business communication, emergency access and people who need their regular number to work abroad. BH Telecom’s move puts it on the right side of that transition.