Telecom Lead America: Aricent, Contela and Mindspeed Technologies, announced that they have integrated Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) into small cell base stations.
VoLTE is the next biggest trend in telecommunications industry. With the launch of LTE-compatible devices like iPad 5, the adoption of VoLTE is growing.
According to Informa Research, 98 percent of carriers agree that small cells are essential to their LTE network rollout and so support for voice is a critical aspect. VoLTE is the preferred way to carry voice calls over the all-IP LTE network, but only a few carriers have adopted it so far.
By integrating VoLTE into small cell base stations, the companies have enabled a technology that helps carriers leverage the potential of 4G small cells in its fullest capacity.
“Without VoLTE a 4G small cell is only delivering a fraction of its true potential, so we are pleased to enable this service,” said Naser Adas, general manager of the wireless business unit of Mindspeed.
The new solution features the Mindspeed Transcede T3000 system-on-chip (SoC) in a Contela LTE small cell product, with fully-integrated carrier-class software from both Mindspeed and Aricent that meets 3GPP Release 9 “Home eNodeB” specifications ( including support for self organising network (SON) features), the company said.
VoLTE voice calls can have guaranteed bandwidth and quality of service (QoS) which enables “HD voice,” using wider bandwidths and better quality codecs to delive clearer calls than traditional cellular or even landline voice services
Jang Ahn Kwon, VP&CMO of Contela, said, “Operators around the world are deploying carrier-class, public-access small cells as a fundamental part of their networks, which started with HSPA and has become mainstream with LTE. We are proud to have taken a step forward with this support for native VoLTE in our products.”
“VoLTE is a highly important technology for wider deployment of LTE, and we are pleased to have played a critical role in developing the VoLTE software and enabling this service in collaboration with our partners,” said Pratyush Dasgupta, vice president and head of wireless practice, at Aricent.
“Aricent is one of the leaders in developing LTE eNodeB software and we are constantly investing in LTE and enhancing our solution by incorporating features such as VoLTE and SON that help provide robust coverage and connectivity in a range of deployment scenarios,” Dasgupta added.
