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Voice over 5G (Vo5G) core

Build IMS voice communications into your new 5G services

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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

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

  • creating services for new vertical segments

  • enriching their consumer and enterprise offers

  • the voice network evolution

  • 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.

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