As per the carriers in the United States, 5G has emerged. It was a success! The race to 5G was won by us. However, one aspect of the riddle remains mostly unsolved: voice. Even in areas where 5G internet coverage is extensive, phone calls still mostly rely on LTE networks. T-Mobile revealed today that it has made a tiny step toward realizing voice over 5G. Some commercial calls will be routed over T-standalone Mobile’s 5G network in Portland, Oregon, and Salt Lake City, Utah.
Voice over 5G (also known as Voice over New Radio, or VoNR) is a huge problem for the whole wireless industry, however, all US providers will likely want to switch to 5G voice calling in the future to free up LTE spectrum for 5G. Voice calls via 5G have better latency, therefore there are substantial benefits for customers as well.
Not every carrier, however, is in a hurry to send calls via 5G. T-Mobile was leading the charge last year, according to Fierce Wireless, as part of its ambitions to be viewed as the leader in 5G. In contrast, Verizon and AT&T appear satisfied to continue using LTE for calls as they build up their 5G networks. T-Mobile has a history of bragging about its 5G firsts, such as the first voice conversation over a 5G standalone network with LTE as a fallback in 2020.
Learn more about this at theverge.com
