What is the future of voice? Voice communications are essential to service providers’ bundled offers. Mobile subscribers expect it as a given component of their plans, and it plays a role in many of the new data services enabled by 5G, but 5G must be fully integrated with existing legacy technologies.
With 4G, IMS voice enables crystal clear calls. But 5G will complete the voice core evolution to IMS, that began with LTE in mobile networks, enabling new immersive voice and video experiences, for consumers and businesses. Open collaboration with many developers in the extended voice ecosystem will be key to this expansion to new industry verticals.
How Nokia IMS works
Voice communications are provided by an IMS core for Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and Voice over New Radio (VoNR). Introduction of VoNR is made smoother if the operator has already deployed LTE and VoLTE extensively.
There are two ways for operators to leverage voice in 5G.
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VoLTE: When no 5G Core is deployed, Voice for 5G users is delivered through VoLTE network (LTE Radio, EPC and IMS), while 5G eMBB services are delivered through 5G Radio and the enhanced LTE/EPC.
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Vo5G/VoNR: When 5G Core is deployed, voice is leveraged using the 5G Core functions and IMS, while the 5G use cases are delivered by the NR and the 5G Core.
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VoWifi: The access agnostic 5G core supports fixed and wireless connectivity that includes licensed, unlicensed, 3GPP and non-3GPP technologies, to deliver converged voice services.
Converged Voice Services
Smooth evolution to voice over 5G with IMS core
Features and benefits of Voice over 5G core
The future is Voice over NR (VoNR)
5G will enable a wide range of truly novel applications where voice will play an important role but they will depend on the presence of an IMS core network regardless of the deployment path.
A critical enabler for 5G voice services
VoLTE is strategically important as part of the migration of voice services from 3G and legacy CS mobile networks to the 4G LTE network.
Flexible deployment options
Non-standalone (NSA) Option 3x is used in early 5G deployments. Standalone (SA) Option 2 requires deploying the 5G Core. In every deployment option, the 3GPP IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is used as the technology basis
Highly customized virtual networks
5G combines Service Based Architecture (SBA) and cloud-native software with open interfaces and network slicing. These key concepts come together to deliver the flexibility, granularity, and scalability CSPs need.
Next-Generation Voice Services in 5G with Voice over New Radio (VoNR)
Voice over New Radio (VoNR) is to revolutionize the way we communicate, offering high bandwidth and low latency capabilities to develop exciting use cases enabled by 5G Standalone Core and 5G Radio.
The power of VoNR opens brand new undiscovered possibilities for Communication Service Providers (CSPs) and their business customers to generate new revenue streams. By integrating VoNR as a component within advanced 5G services, CSPs can deliver an enhanced user experience and capture the attention of consumers and industries.
Immersive Experiences
With VoNR's abilities, users can enjoy crystal-clear voice calls and immersive audiovisual experiences. This translates into superior voice quality and opens doors to interactive communication like never before. Embracing VoNR means tapping into new revenue streams. CSPs can leverage its capabilities to offer specialized services, including immersive multimedia conferencing, remote collaboration platforms, virtual assistants, and interactive entertainment
VoNR programmability
Exploit the VoNR extensive programmability, integrate with other innovative offerings: The seamless integration of VoNR as a component within 5G services creates a world of possibilities. CSPs can bundle VoNR with cutting-edge technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and IoT, enabling them to offer compelling service packages that captivate consumers and deliver a unique value proposition.
Industry-Specific Applications
VoNR's opens doors to industry-specific applications. Embed 5G voice services to remote diagnostics in telemedicine or real-time language translation services. Use VoNR to live event broadcasting with immersive audio, and interactive gaming experiences with integrated voice functionalities. These tailored solutions bring innovation to various sectors and cater to specific needs.
Low latency characteristics of VoNR
VoNR's low latency characteristics ensure reliable and instant voice communication, making it an ideal solution for critical applications that require real-time voice interactions. Industries such as public safety, healthcare, and industrial automation stand to benefit significantly from this level of reliability.
Monetize 5G voice services with IMS Data Channel
Enhanced Communication Experiences in 5G
Make the communication experience rich and interactive with IMS data channel in 5G. Monetize voice services and enhance communication experiences. Offer enriched calling with features like in-call content sharing, HTML-content, and in-call advertising. The IMS data channel allows your customers to share applications during voice calls, surpassing the limitations of over-the-top services. It has use cases in enterprise communications, such as visual interfaces and document sharing, and consumer communications, including shared gaming and screen sharing.
To learn more, read the IMS data channel ebook, or watch this demo video showcasing the capabilities and diverse range of use cases of IMS data channel.
Invent new 5G voice services
CSPs need 5G core openness, programmability through open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), and a wide range of API sets to enable
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creating services for new vertical segments
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enriching their consumer and enterprise offers
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the voice network evolution
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new open business models
Voice may be integrated as a component of new 5G services or become part of a bundled CSP package. Our Telephony Application Server (TAS) provides multiple IMS application server roles to deliver high quality voice, video and messaging services for all mobile and fixed networks.
Explore our VoLTE/WoWifi core and Vo5G core solutions
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