ZTE Corporation, in partnership with Qualcomm, has achieved the industry’s first 5G-enabled Voice over New Radio (5G VoNR) call using the 700 MHz band. The call was completed using commercial products at ZTE’s Xi’an Test Base.
The call was performed in compliance with 3GPP Release 15 specifications over the 700 MHz spectrum band (n28) by utilizing ZTE’s 5G NR base station and a 5G smartphone form factor test device powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF System. The test validated the full functionality and high quality of the end-to-end VoNR services, laying a solid foundation for the industry to achieve large-scale commercial rollouts in the 700 MHz band.
700 MHz is an optimal frequency band to provide wide coverage, strong penetration and service continuity, which are important aspects not only for traditional mobile users but also new vertical enterprise customers. The utilization of the 700 MHz band for 5G networks supports cost-effective network construction and operation. ZTE and Qualcomm Technologies are well positioned to enable the commercialization of 5G in the 700 MHz band, working together to develop the necessary end-to-end capabilities for networks, devices and business platforms to allow operators to deliver a full service offering including voice and data.
To fully support the commercial rollouts of 700 MHz in China, ZTE has stepped up its research and development efforts related to the 700 MHz band, and introduced a full range of end-to-end products, while working in tandem with Qualcomm Technologies in device development and interoperability tests of 700 MHz services to meet early demand for its commercialization in China.
The industry’s first VoNR Interoperability Development Testing (IoDT) utilizing commercial systems over the 700 MHZ band has removed a key barrier to its scalable commercialization. According to Durga Malladi, Senior Vice President and General Manager, 4G/5G, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. the success of VoNR over 700MHz shows how Qualcomm can enable global OEMs and operators to deliver high-quality voice services without having to rely on VoLTE (Voice over LTE) or an LTE anchor, unlocking 5G’s ability to power worldwide connectivity capabilities.
