T-Mobile steps forward with LTE voice standard, faces uphill battle
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Jul 8th 2009 5:59PM
posted Jul 8th 2009 5:59PM
It's still a shockingly open question exactly how the world's carriers plan on transporting voice over LTE -- which is something everyone who loves 4G should be freaking out about, considering that it threatens launch schedules and interoperability among unlocked handsets. A vibrant array of possible solutions are currently on the table, including everything from SIP-based IMS (which is already approved by the 3GPP, helpfully) to the controversial thought of leaving legacy GSM and UMTS networks live for the sole purpose of running voice. T-Mobile International is putting its bets on VoLGA -- Voice Over LTE via Generic Access -- by participating in the VoLGA Forum, which has just published the second version of its specifications and aims for 3GPP consideration later this year. The technology routes circuit-switched (that is, old-school) voice over data packets, but the problem is that there are a bunch of companies proposing the same thing in slightly different ways; Nokia Siemens Networks, for example, is working on its own proprietary standard that'll go head-to-head with VoLGA. Currently, T-Mobile's the only major network actively participating in VoLGA's development, though it apparently has the support of every major infrastructure vendor except Nokia Siemens. Whether it's VoLGA or something else, let's hope everyone gets on the same page on the double before everyone gets too entrenched in incompatible technologies that make roaming difficult and handset variety lame.
Does this REALLY have to be so hard? Why wasn't voice defined when they created the 4G standard?
because the standard is still being defined...
Voice was defined on the LTE standard through IMS but the carriers are not happy with it because there are no real world implementantion of it that are 'market proven' and IMS is a departure of how things were being done in the regular old networks.
This is one reason why WiMAX is great. The standard is totally defined and deployed in markets already. I don't really know why they need to worry so much about voice, both technologies are TCP/IP based. The only difference is that LTE is not merely an extension of the GSM standard as UMTS is, this makes several carriers worried about their current and future investments into faster revisions of UMTS, including HSPA+ (which is being designed to delay the cost of LTE deployment).
WiMAX is PART of LTE douchebag;)
What the hell? From the user point of view, isn't LTE just a pipe that supports TCP/IP? Why should the carriers get involved with my content applications. I plan to use Skype as soon as I get a mobile connection with adequate bandwidth. This reeks of the multiple-revenue-streams-from-the-same-pipe model that the cable and satellite companies are getting away with now.
I know at least at first Verizon plans to use its existing 1xRTT network for voice and LTE/EVDO for data. Once LTE gets the footprint of current day 3G networks, I see them gunning for the voice solution... IMS.
I do agree that this crap should be agreed on and settled quickly. The standard should be voted upon by the 3GPP assembly and carriers should work together to create a unified seamless experience for their users.
Wait, that makes too much sense?
well from a regular consumers point of view lol.
I feel sorry for those who stay with Sprint....since their 4G network is based on WiMax...and the majority of the worldwide carriers including the popular CDMA carriers like VZW, Telus, Bell etc are planning on switching to LTE for their future 4G networks.
basically what I'm saying is it'll be difficult for consumers who travel internationally with Sprint to roam in outside countries since LTE is GSM based, and MAJORITY of international countries are dominated by GSM technology.
Actually GSM died along time ago 3G is actually WCDMA the so called CDMA networks are just running CDMA2000
Actually GSM is still very much alive. That's what all the networks that use SIM cards use...you know, for voice calls? 3G might be running on WCDMA, but that's still an extension of GSM, whereas CDMA2000 is completely different. And most of the world still doesn't use 3G, so GSM/EDGE is still king. Get your facts straight.
In any case, carriers and manufacturers of the world, WHY CAN'T WE BE FRIENDS?? Can we just decide on ONE standard and live with it?? I'm tired of these incompatibility issues!!
does that mean a possibility of no sim cards?
No.
Ooo.. we could have really expensive Russian cars transporting our voice? sweeeet!
feel sorry for your upstack elitist ass.How many people out there who can afford roaming exuberant retarded fees? Sane people use prepaid and cheap under 50$ phones while visiting foreign countries .You dont want person who mugged off your iPhone and raped u ,on top of all to run a huge roaming bill while uploading video of you being raping to S&M sites