When 4G services were launched in India, they brought on the advent of VoLTE, which stands for Voice over LTE. It offers the possibility to make voice calls via the data communication of the LTE/4G mobile network. Now that 5G services have launched in India and are being widely adopted all around the world, people will have to deal with VoNR, which stands for Voice over New Radio and here’s everything you need to know about it.
What is 5G Voice over New Radio (VoNR)?
5G VoNR, also known as Vo5G or Voice over 5G, is the method using which voice calls can be handled over the 5G network. It is very similar to VoLTE in terms of technology used. However, to support this technology, the operator should be using the 5G Standalone architecture and not the Non-standalone tech. This is because the technology has been developed to replace the legacy methods that are being used in NSA 5G. In India’s case, Airtel is using 5G NSA, while Jio is using 5G SA.
But, operators are quickly gearing up to transition to 5G Standalone, where a new cloud-native core is deployed. This transition will enable a host of new services and delivery models, which includes 5G Voice over New Radio.
How does 5G VoNR work?
In 5G VoNR, IMS is the voice service enabler that uses the 5G core. For those who don’t know, IP Multimedia System (IMS) core is an architectural framework that delivers multimedia communications services. The IMS core optimises the call quality by managing the Quality of service, because of which it remains as a prerequisite for VoNR to work. The calls on 5G network are implemented as end-to-end Voice over IP (VoIP) connections which are handled by IMS.
Read More: Exclusive – Reliance Jio 5G Will Be Available At 4G Tariff Till The Roll Out Completes
Then, the VoNR network architecture consists of a 5G RAN (radio access network) and a 5G core. The VoNR removes the LTE anchor, thereby allowing the voice call to stay on a 5G network from the UE, through the RAN and core. The VoNR involves the 5G RAN, the 5G Core, 5GC and the IMS infrastructure for it to work with all the integrations of these technologies.
What are the benefits of 5G VoNR?
- Using VoNR, the voice calls will be able to take advantage of the lower Latency of the 5G networks.
- The sound quality and video quality of the calls will also be improved at the same time.
- VoNR will be able to provide high-speed data activities and is also expected to be a major part of AR & VR services in the future.
- Vo5G will also promote the use of 5G SA architecture which is more advanced than 5G NSA and is more capable.
- VoNR also supports simultaneous high-speed downloads and calls so the speeds do not drop if you are on a call.
- It also improves voice coverage in uplink direction due to dual connectivity (DC).
Read More: Airtel 5G Plus Tariff to remain unchanged until rollout is 100%
5G VoNR Compatibility
Not all smartphones support VoNR technology as of now. Moreover, the scene in India with regards to the technology is still unclear as only Jio is gearing up to launch 5G over Standalone architecture, a pre-requisite for 5G VoNR.
Some of Samsung’s devices, such as the Galaxy S22 series, and Galaxy S21 series, are compatible with VoNR. Oppo smartphones such as the Reno 6 Pro, Reno 7 Pro, and Reno 8 series are also compatible. However, once the operator rolls out support for VoNR, these companies may have to roll out an OTA to enable compatibility for VoNR for Jio in India.