Milestone for VoLTE voice handover

Ericsson is working in collaboration with Qualcomm to help ensure that voice services continue to play a central role in the Networked Society. The collaboration aims to enable the successful launch of commercial multi-standard GSMA VoLTE solutions, shorten time-to-market and help ensure an optimal user experience by aligning functionality in device platforms and networks.

The most recent collaboration between the companies – a series of joint tests and demonstrations – led to a milestone in VoLTE interoperability. The companies successfully performed the world’s first handover of voice calls from LTE to WCDMA in an end-to-end network using Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC). The technique allows voice calls from the VoLTE packet domain to be handed over to the legacy circuit switched domain.

The outcome of the demonstration will ultimately be used to guide and secure effective migration to multi-access networks, including GSM, WCDMA, LTE, CDMA and WiFi. The achievement is an important step in Ericsson’s and Qualcomm’s vision of being able to offer mobile users advanced communication services.

The collaboration is expected to continue with the two companies working towards ensuring optimized solutions for VoLTE together with Circuit Switch Fallback, and SRVCC. The ambition is to demonstrate consistent service behaviour over a wide range of mobile access technologies and to blend voice service with interoperable multimedia enhancements such as video, messaging and presence.

"As LTE networks are deployed as part of multi-standard networks, Qualcomm has the unique ability to provide evolved voice services such as VoLTE with integrated chipsets for multimode 2G/3G/LTE and WiFi capable mobile device Serge Willenegger, Vice President of product management, Qualcomm.

Ericsson envisages VoLTE being the foundation for evolved communication services, including video and Rich Communication Suite services, providing guaranteed quality of service.

"With continued collaborative efforts, Ericsson and Qualcomm will focus on the availability of the next generation mobile access technology, and speed up the introduction of new communication services in the mobile networks," says Magnus Furustam, Ericsson’s Vice President, Head of Core and IMS.

The evolved communication services delivered via a multitude of access technologies will deliver the following user benefits:

the ability to use voice and data services at the same time,
usability and experience levels for packet switched networks that exceed those of circuit-switched networks
the availability of a wide range of certified devices
evolution of the telephony service to advanced and seamless communication service
continuous global reach