VoNR technology supports both voice call and data service using the 5G network while the current 5G network approach switches into 4G network when making voice calls. Without the need for switching between networks, VoNR provides a higher chance of maintaining connection in voice call as well as faster call connection times. Users can also enjoy true 5G speeds when playing high-performance games or streaming high-quality videos even while staying on a call.

Samsung’s VoNR solution includes key technologies such as an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), Quality of Service (QoS), and handover.

The Exynos Chip, which applied the comprehensive VoNR solution

IMS is the key technology for VoNR that enables all multimedia services – such as audio, video, and extensive data services – within a single IP (internet protocol) network. Samsung’s 5G NR (New Radio) communication protocol stack for the IMS used in 4G voice calls (VoLTE) is designed for stable compatibility with VoNR services as well. The protocol stack is an aggregation of software layers that implement the communication protocols needed for different devices to communicate data with each other.

Samsung has also developed the QoS that provides stable support for 5G VoNR and the technology that assists uninterrupted handover between nearby network base stations. QoS analyzes the flow of data using the network and determines the priority of services in real-time. Additionally, Samsung’s protocol stack places the highest priority on voice calls anytime, anywhere, thereby enhancing the quality of VoNR.

“With a surge in the number of 5G smartphone users, there is a higher demand for various 5G technologies and services,” said Jonghan Kim, Vice President of System LSI Business at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue to deliver next-generation mobile communication technologies, including VoNR service support, that will bring users together, faster.”

Samsung’s prolific journey in 5G includes the launch of the Exynos Modem 5100 in 2018, which was the industry’s first multi-mode chip that is fully compliant with the 5G telecommunication standard (5G NR Release-15). The momentum continued in January this year, with the launch of the Exynos 2100, Samsung’s first premium mobile SoC with an integrated 5G modem.

Being a part of the industry’s first commercial VoNR deployment in Singapore back in July and building on that momentum, Samsung is currently providing its 5G VoNR-integrated solution to global mobile device manufacturers while conducting focused localization and automation tests for VoNR deployment with global network companies.

Samsung Electronics, a leading provider of mobile broadband networking solutions, announced that it successfully deployed the first virtualized IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) components of its AdaptiV Core platform for Korean telecommunications service provider SK Telecom, delivering resource usage flexibility and significant potential cost savings to the operator’s LTE-Advanced network.

“The deployment of our AdaptiV IMS solution represents a second major win for our network virtualization strategy in Korea this year,” said Jeong Jinsoo, Senior Vice President and Head of Domestic Network Sales and Marketing Team of Samsung Electronics. “SK Telecom’s extensive and highly advanced LTE-A network provides the perfect opportunity for us to showcase the strengths of our latest virtualized solutions.”

Samsung’s AdaptiV Core platform is designed to combine virtualization of LTE core network elements, such as the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and IMS, with robust OSS capabilities in the form of the CognitiV Cloud Manager. The AdaptiV vIMS component is designed to provide the same software functionality as legacy IMS solutions, while introducing a higher degree of freedom and efficiency to the hardware resources. It transitions the purpose-built proprietary hardware of legacy IMS systems into the same powerful, standardized server hardware that runs IT systems around the world. This not only provides significant cost savings by enabling the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment, but also grants significant freedom in hardware selection while allowing for unprecedented scalability – individual hardware resources (e.g. computing cores, memory and storage) can be added individually as needed to meet network demand.

On top of the hardware sits an operating environment – the hypervisor – which is responsible for executing specific network functions. These network functions can be dynamically assigned to computing, memory and storage resources from a shared pool, based on each function’s real-time requirements. As a result, the network gains a higher degree of scalability and improved efficiency in resource usage.

The very first virtualized network functions deployed on the AdaptiV vIMS for SK Telecom is the virtual Call Session Control Function (vCSCF), which will be responsible for various VoLTE-related processes including handling call setup, providing billing and policy control, interfacing with 3rd party networks for roaming users, as well as identifying and correctly routing emergency calls. Additional Virtualized IMS Network Functions (IMS VNFs), such as the virtual Access Gateway (vAGW), will be deployed at a later date; the ability to easily roll out, update or patch individual functions is one of the promising benefits of NFV.

Samsung’s AdaptiV Core Solution for IMS

The deployment of the AdaptiV vIMS solution closely follows SK Telecom’s deployment of Samsung’s AdaptiV vEPC in early August, and represents a concerted effort by the two companies to explore the capabilities and advantages of Network Function Virtualization. Samsung and SK Telecom also recently announced a proof of concept for Software Defined Networking technology, scheduled for later this year, in the operator’s core network. Both NFV and SDN are viewed as major components in the achievement of Samsung’s 5G vision, each contributing to vastly increased network capacity, reduced latency and improved cost efficiency.