Latin America. With the incipient development of 5G networks, a new stage begins also for voice communications. Voice over New Radio (VoNR) will provide attractive opportunities to improve voice quality, reduce operational costs for network operators, and facilitate faster migration of network technologies for operators, similar to how Voice over LTE (VoLTE) has previously done with traditional voice services of 2G and 3G networks.
A broad sector of the telecommunications industry has taken a phased approach to the introduction of 5G technology into its existing networks. This approach has begun with the so-called non-autonomous architecture (NSA, Non-Standalone), in which lte nodes (eNodeB) serve as the control anchor for the 5G node (gNodeB). Under this architecture, IP multimedia services (IMS), including voice calls, will use the LTE network without impacting the signaling of the control plane. Users will have the same experience as on VoLTE.
When standalone 5G (SA) reaches maturity, NSA and SA architectures will coexist in operators' networks. In areas where 5G SA is available, it will be of the utmost importance that all voice services can function properly.
In those geographic areas where 5G coverage is not available, EPSFB (Evolved Packet System Fall Back) will be the solution temporarily, allowing calls to be derived to VoLTE where 4G LTE exists, similar to how Circuit Switch Fallback (CSFB) worked at the beginning of LTE deployments.
VoNR will play a critical role in helping operators migrate from legacy networks such as 2G and 3G, helping to accelerate the reuse of radio spectrum. To this end, it will be of paramount importance for operators to continue to drive the ecosystem of devices that can support autonomous 5G (SA, standalone) and VoNR technologies.
To access the infographic produced by 5G Americas, click here.
