This is clearly a way for Verizon to distinguish itself from other prepaid carriers, especially considering prepaid rates are getting lower and lower. The new features will not cost anything to subscribers of Verizon’s prepaid services.
Verizon says that there are more than two dozen smartphones on its network that can make use of the new Voice over LTE feature. Users will, however, have to enable the feature as an add-on to plans, even though it is free.
So why use Voice over LTE, or VoLTE? A number of reasons. First of all, considering it uses LTE instead of cellular, voice quality is much higher. Not only that, but with the extra bandwidth, you can do things like make video calls and make calls with multiple people. It is important to note that in order to make VoLTE work, both parties in the conversation will need to have it enabled.
Another advantage to the technology is that you can take or make calls over compatible Wi-Fi networks. Prepaid customers will be able to do this for free to U.S. phone numbers, which means that if you are roaming and you call home, you could do so for free on a compatible network. The ability to make calls over Wi-Fi will be helpful — while the Verizon network is the largest in the U.S., there are still some spots that do not have coverage.
Verizon has 27 devices, including the Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S7, and LG G5, that are compatible with the new features.
