Kineto Wireless introduced a software client that supports both VoLGA (voice over LTE via Generic Access) and IMS voice for LTE handsets.
Expanding on Kineto’s previously announced VoLGA Software Developer’s Kit (SDK), the new client enables handset manufacturers to integrate a combined VoLGA/IMS voice client and accelerate LTE handsets to market. In addition, the client can be upgraded over the air through standard procedures to support new and evolving functionality, providing operators, as well as subscribers, a future-proof solution. Kineto’s combined VoLGA/IMS voice client is compliant with the VoLGA Forum’s release 1.0 specifications and is planned to support the recently announced “One Voice” IMS telephony profile.
Kineto said an important requirement for any LTE handset is concurrent support for both the interim VoLGA and longer-term IMS voice solutions. Operators around the world will adopt IMS voice on different timelines, so LTE handsets must support the interim approach along with IMS to provide an effective roaming solution. Kineto’s combined client is the industry’s first to provide this comprehensive solution.
“It is inevitable operators migrating to LTE will need to support more than one voice option,” said Uwe Janßen, senior vice president of core networks at Deutsche Telekom. “While the long-term approach for LTE voice remains IMS, many operators will require an interim voice solution, and we see VoLGA being the best approach, by far. As both are based on the same radio mechanisms, there is a natural evolution from VoLGA to IMS, which is nicely demonstrated by the integrated client.”http://www.kineto.com
- Earlier this month, leading global telecom players announced 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.