After missing its estimated 2013 launch for its Voice over LTE (VoLTE) service, AT&T today announced that it’s finally ready to flip the switch on its HD Voice offering.

AT&T says that its High-Definition VoLTE service will launch on May 23 in select areas in states like Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Service will continue to roll out on a market-by-market basis.

In order to take advantage of AT&T’s HD Voice service, you’ll need a compatible handset. The first device to officially support the feature will be the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, though AT&T says that additional devices will be made available soon.

HD Voice utilizes AT&T’s LTE network to offer clearer voice calls when two devices are using the service. Additionally, HD Voice users can talk and surf the web simultaneously, just like they can when on AT&T’s non-4G network. 

While voice calling may not be as widely-used as it used to be, these devices that we carry around in our pockets are still phones, and so it’s nice to see that their voice calling capabilities are being upgraded to take advantage of high-speed LTE networks. Here’s to hoping that other carriers follow with launches of their own VoLTE offerings in the near future so that more folks can enjoy clearer phone calls.

Via AT&T (PRNewsWire)