VoLTE Roaming lets you make super clear phone calls over 4G networks even when you’re traveling outside your usual coverage area. This is important because many phone companies are getting rid of their old 2G and 3G networks. It’s like having the great call quality you’re used to at home, but while you’re abroad. To use VoLTE Roaming, you’ll need a newer phone with the feature turned on, and your phone company needs to support it. VoLTE roaming deployment

VoLTE roaming testing and assurance, 5G NSA (non-standalone) roaming deployment, and 5G SA (standalone) roaming testing and migration were found to be the top 3 most important technical requirements for MNOs, according to Kaleido’s latest Wholesale Roaming MNO Survey conducted in Q3 2022. VoLTE roaming deployment 

According to Kaleido’s research, VoLTE roaming deployment cannot be delayed any further, and the primary support that operators expect from their partner vendors in implementing VoLTE includes the testing and monitoring of IMS core and VoLTE service. This will ensure the same or better experience as on legacy voice networks.

In comparison, VoLTE roaming readiness, followed by the identification and monetisation of IoT roaming traffic, were the top 2 most immediate roaming challenges faced by mobile operators. With more operators focusing on 5G rollout and refarming their 2G/3G spectrum, enabling VoLTE roaming has become a critical strategy for operators to maintain geographical voice reach for their customers.

Kaleido Wholesale Roaming MNO Survey Q3 2022: Key Findings VoLTE roaming deployment 

Key findings from Kaleido Intelligence’s operator survey^* conducted in Q3 2022 included:

• 5G NSA roaming was the number 1 driver for increasing roaming revenues, with around 53% of respondents finding this very or extremely important.
• Innovation is required the most in roaming analytics and intelligence products offering insights into roaming behaviour, traffic forecasts, device identification and fraud management, according to 31% of the survey respondents; a slight drop from 33% in 2021.
• 47% of operator respondents are looking to develop IoT roaming-specific wholesale agreements, with 33% currently in the process of doing so.
• Around 50% of the operator respondents confirmed a full recovery to pre-COVID data roaming traffic levels by the end of 2022. In comparison, around 20% expect this to occur only in 2024 and beyond.

Nitin Bhas, Chief of Strategy & Insights at Kaleido Intelligence, said: “While VoLTE roaming struggled to be a top priority amongst mobile operators prior to 2022, this is rapidly changing with operators accelerating their testing and deployment of VoLTE roaming over the next 12 months. Kaleido expects 2022-2024 to be the years when VoLTE roaming finally takes off on a global scale.”

Consumer & IoT Roaming Wholesale Revenues to Exceed $35 Billion in 2023

The report found that wholesale revenues from consumer and IoT inbound roaming connections will reach $38 billion in 2023, and is forecast to exceed $60 billion annually by 2027. Meanwhile, consumer and IoT data roaming traffic will reach 6,300 PB by 2027, representing an annual average growth of 27% over the next 5 years.

The survey found that around 87% of the respondents expect wholesale rates for SMS, voice, and data to fall over the next 3-5 years. In comparison, pricing decline for IoT roaming traffic will likely be a challenge, with 46% expecting this to rise over the next 3-5 years.