One Voice Initiative Targets Voice-over-LTE using IMS

Leading global telecom players have formed a "One Voice" initiative to push for a standards-based solution for voice and SMS over LTE networks. The companies have jointly developed a technical profile for LTE voice and SMS services. This profile defines an optimal set of existing 3GPP-specified functionalities that all industry stakeholders, including network vendors, service providers and handset manufacturers, can use to offer compatible LTE voice solutions.


Specifically, the technical profile document defines a minimum mandatory set of features a wireless device (the UE) and network are required to implement in order to guarantee an interoperable, high quality IMS-based telephony service over LTE radio access. 3GPP Release 8, which is the first release supporting LTE, is taken as a basis for the profile. An annex to the main profile has also been drafted to deal with scenarios where IMS voice service must coexist with the current circuit
switched infrastructure.


Companies backing the initiative include AT&T, Orange, Telefonica, TeliaSonera, Verizon, Vodafone, Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nokia, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and Sony Ericsson.


The companies are proposing an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) based solution, as defined by 3GPP, as the most applicable approach for voice services running over the packet-based architecture of LTE. This approach will also open the path to service convergence, as IMS is able to simultaneously serve broadband wireline and LTE wireless networks.


In addition, the companies hope to ensure the widest possible ecosystem for LTE and to avoid fragmentation of technical solutions.


The profile for the initial solution has been finalized and is available online.
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