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IHS predicts VoLTE service revenue will grow to $6.3 billion.
The number of voice over LTE (VoLTE) users worldwide will reach 1 billion by 2020, predicted IHS this week.
The research firm said on Tuesday there were 185 million VoLTE users at the end of 2015, most of them based in Japan, South Korea and the U.S. That figure is expected to climb to 310 million by the end of this year.
According to IHS and the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), 23 LTE networks have been upgraded to VoLTE so far this year, giving a global total of 63.
"There are currently 500 commercial LTE networks in the world, and every single network will eventually support VoLTE, as it is inevitable that voice will go to LTE," said IHS, in a research note.
By 2020, IHS expects VoLTE service revenues will reach US$6.3 billion (€5.58 billion), with North America accounting for almost half of that sum.
By then, "Asia Pacific will have three times more VoLTE users than North America but revenue will be 13% lower," IHS predicted.
