When LTE first arrived, phone calls were still made using the older 3G network. It wasn’t until later on that Voice over LTE, or VoLTE, service was introduced. The same thing is happening today with 5G service. Voice calls still mainly utilize LTE services. That’s even in locations where 5G data coverage is widely available.
As of today, T-Mobile announced they would be supporting Voice over 5G. This technology is referred to as Voice over New Radio, or VoNR.
“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,” said Neville Ray, President of Technology at T-Mobile. “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.”
Rollout will start in Portland, Oregon and Salt Lake City, Utah, where some commercial calls will be routed via T-Mobile’s standalone 5G network. The service will only be available in “limited areas” of these cities.
In order for to obtain VoNR, your phone must support the new technology. This is no different than how Voice over LTE functioned. Your phone must support it and you must have the feature enabled on the phone. Currently, only one phone supports it – the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G smartphone.
It’s likely that other carriers will begin to follow suit when they see the benefits – not only the lower latency, but more of the LTE spectrum can be cleared out to make room for additional 5G service. Dish Network, for example, does not have an existing LTE network to fall back on so they are relying on a deal with AT&T while they work on their own VoNR services.