What is 5G voice like now?

In the 5G era, real-time communication is still an indispensable basic business capability. 5G has entered the accelerated development stage from the infrastructure construction stage, so what is the current situation of 5G voice?

Under the 5G SA architecture, the 5G voice solution includes three stages :

• EPS Fallback Voice Solution
• VoNR Voice Solution
• VoNR+ Voice Solution

01EPS Fallback Voice Solution

After 5G construction develops to SA architecture, 5GC has been deployed, and NR hotspot coverage is available, in order to avoid frequent switching between 4G/5G, it is recommended to adopt the EPS Fallback voice solution.

IMS software upgrade supports NR access. NR is triggered when creating media streams, and voice falls back to VoLTE.

EPS Fallback is a voice transition solution for base station hotspot coverage in the early stage of 5G deployment, which is designed to avoid voice interruptions caused by frequent switching and affect user experience.

02VoNR Voice Solution

As 5G NR coverage gradually expands to continuous coverage, voice is carried on NR and the VoNR voice solution is adopted.

NR supports audio and video, and media streams can be directly created under NR coverage, and edge switching to VoLTE does not interrupt calls.

VoNR will be used after 5G is deployed on a large scale. It has the advantages of short call establishment time, good user experience, easy to understand and use, and cost-effectiveness.

• Compared with VoLTE voice based on 4G network, VoNR has lower call latency, better sound and picture quality, and can significantly improve user experience.
• VoNR does not require adding friends in advance, and video calls can be made directly by dialing mobile phone numbers. It is easy to understand and use even for the elderly, children and other groups, which is conducive to the rapid development of business.
• Reasonable VoNR package settings can also effectively reduce the data consumption of video calls and are economical.

03VoNR+ Voice Solution

As the global 5G development enters an accelerated period, 5G NR is gradually achieving wide-area coverage. All voice services are carried on NR, using the VoNR+ voice solution.

VoNR+ consists of two stages: VoNR+ based on video enhancement and VoNR+ based on IMS DC.

VoNR+ based on video enhancement

The video-enhanced VoNR+ is based on VoNR and VoLTE video calls. It uses network-enhanced audio and video AI intelligent processing to promote the integration of traditional audio and video capabilities and other media forms and provide new call services.

• To maximize the video call capabilities of terminals and networks, the commercial process of VoNR+ based on video enhancement mainly focuses on video customer service, video simultaneous interpretation, and fun video calls.
• Through VoLTE/VoNR terminals, VoNR + allows the push of interesting videos or vivid and intuitive business information to the other end users through "one-way" or "two-way" video methods.
• For enterprise users, it can improve service quality and work efficiency; for individual users, they can enjoy the convenience brought by powerful video capabilities in work, life and other aspects.
  

VoNR+ based on IMS data channel

VoNR+ based on IMS data channel is a new IMS data channel based on the audio and video channel of VoNR. While providing high-definition real-time audio and video services, it also provides full-media data interaction services, bringing users a new interactive and immersive service experience.

• Based on VoNR calls, the IMS data channel architecture is adopted. Users can experience various interactive and immersive new interactive services through interactive menus, text, emoticons, locations and other multimedia information through data channels.
• It can provide new services such as smart business cards, smart customer service, remote guidance, simultaneous interpretation, screen sharing, electronic whiteboard and content sharing. Users only need to use VoNR+ terminals that support IMS data channels to send and receive a variety of interactive multimedia information through data channels in both directions while making normal audio and video calls.
• It can be widely used in ToC, ToB, ToH and other occasions, bringing users a variety of "more fun, easier to use and more efficient" new interactive call services.

04Business Function

Based on 4G VoLTE, 5G voice further improves the voice service experience, enriches service content, and provides users with high-definition audio and video calls, interactive and immersive calls, and an open application platform.

HD audio and video calls

5G networks support high-definition voice (EVS, IVAS), high-definition video (720P/1080P/2K/4K) and video calls of any media that carry more information (pictures, audio, video, menus, emoticons, locations, AR/VR). Typical business functions include high-definition family calls, high-definition visual access control, and high-definition video customer service.

Interactive and immersive calls

As mobile terminals become smarter and larger in screen size, users' demands for real-time communication are gradually increasing. 5G networks support interactive and immersive real-time communication, extending the user's sensory experience from "listening, speaking, and watching" to "touching" and remote operation, making users feel as if they are in the scene. Typical business functions include AR social networking and remote guidance.

Open Application

ToC applications: provide a "more fun" and "better use" service experience, so that users can feel physically and mentally happy and have the opportunity to show their personality. Typical service functions include fun calls and simultaneous interpretation.

ToB applications: provide a more economical and efficient business experience, allowing enterprise users to gain greater economic and social benefits. Typical business functions include intelligent customer service, caller name card, etc.

ToH application: Provides a "more intimate" and "smarter" service experience, allowing users to enjoy the convenient life of a modern smart home. Typical service functions include smart door locks, smart homes, etc.

05 Ending

Now, the further development of 5G voice has broken through the constraints of traditional communication modes and is truly multimedia communication.

5G voice breaks the spatial limitations of hearing and vision, allowing communication between people to achieve a sensory extension; it breaks the original limitations on communication between people and opens up a new era of all-media real-time communication between people, people and things, and things and things.