The VoNR test used a commercial chipset from MediaTek deployed on a 3.5GHz TDD band
A successful Voice over New Radio (VoNR) interoperability test was conducted at the Ericsson Lab in Kista, Sweden. The achievement, which used a commercial chipset from MediaTek deployed on a 3.5 GHz TDD band, has shortened the distance to the standalone 5G finish line, according to the two companies.
Standalone 5G will be more efficient than the non-standalone (NSA) version, leading to lower costs for operators and better performance for users, and would also eliminate the issue of “upswitching” latency, which occurs when a device first switches from LTE to 5G. This is because the SA version would not require the support of a 4G LTE network to perform certain functions. The ultimate goal for most operators, including those in the U.S., is to completely eliminate the dependence on 4G altogether, with the exclusive use of 5G (NR standalone) for both voice and data services.
Further, with Standalone New Radio, a 5G-enabled device does not need to rely on 4G technology to make 5G VoNR calls, and these SA NR networks, according to Ericsson, will enable a range of new services and simplify network architectures.
When announcing the successful tests, the vendor stated that the use of VoNR on SA architecture will allow service providers to offer voice services on 5G-voice-capable devices as well as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services.
In the same statement, Hannes Ekström, head of Product Line 5G RAN at Ericsson, commented, “Although 5G is closely associated with superior data-transfer capabilities, voice services remain essential for mobile users. So 5G phones are expected to provide all the capabilities of 4G phones in addition to new 5G features and services. Ensuring continued voice services on 5G devices must therefore be addressed properly.
He added that with the multivendor interoperability demonstrated by the test, the Ericsson and MediaTek are “paving the way for native voice services on commercial 5G devices.”
To ensure that voice support is enabled as service providers evolve their 4G networks to 5G, Ericsson and MediaTek have collaborated on interoperability tests spanning SA NR, 5G Core and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). In addition, the companies have successfully tested Evolved Packet System (EPS) Fallback for situations where SA is not available.
JS Pan, general manager of Wireless System Design and Partnership at MediaTek, said, “This technology milestone will let device makers support native voice calling services on 5G networks, providing users with a seamless connectivity experience as SA 5G networks are rolled out in the coming year.”
While the first commercial 5G smartphones on the market use dual-mode connectivity to make voice calls over 4G and then 5G for data boost, MediaTek’s General Manager of Wireless System Design and Partnership JS Pan said that following this technology milestone, device manufacturers can begin to support native voice calling services on 5G networks.
He added that this will provide users with “a seamless connectivity experience as SA 5G networks are rolled out in the coming year.”
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