T-Mobile US has begun offering commercial Voice-over-5G (also known as Voice over New Radio, or VoNR) in certain regions of Portland, Oregon, and Salt Lake City, Utah, with the intention of expanding the service to a larger area later this year.
VoNR, which is based on 5G Standalone (5G SA) network technology, is now available on the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G smartphone and will be available later this year on a variety of additional 5G handsets, including the Galaxy S22.
Voice over 5G represents a significant hurdle for the whole wireless industry, however all US providers will most certainly want to transition voice calling to 5G at some point in the future to free up LTE spectrum for 5G. Voice conversations via 5G offer decreased latency, lightning-fast speeds, real-time response and immense connectivity.
Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung and Qualcomm all contributed to TMUS’s voice over 5G service debut. T- Mobile’s network is powered by Nokia’s radio, core solutions and associated equipment. The Voice over 5G service was also deployed using Ericsson communications equipment.
Neville Ray, President of Technology at TMUS, commented: “T-Mobile is setting the pace for providers around the globe as we push the industry forward – now starting to roll out another critical service over 5G. 5G is already driving new levels of engagement, transforming how our customers use their smartphones and bringing unprecedented connectivity to areas that desperately need it. And it’s just going to get better thanks to the incredible T-Mobile team and our partners who are tirelessly innovating and advancing the capabilities of 5G every day.”
