Verizon is the first carrier ever to make a phone call with the Voice over LTE (VoLTE) standard. A call at 9:54AM Eastern on Tuesday with an LG Revolution lasted for just 33 seconds but was followed up by tests to prove simultaneous data and voice would work. Calls lasting over 10 minutes included browsing the web, chatting or downloading apps in the background.
The carrier also clarified its launch strategy. It had previously alluded to service being available to the public in mid-2011 but is now expected to only start refining the service and add “rich communications services” this year. Full VoLTE service on the network isn’t expected to start until 2012
