> Detecon Executive Briefing

Stefan Berg Valentin Titica

Stefan.Berg@detecon.com Valentin.Titica@detecon.com

LTE Voice Strategies

The Speechless Voice
Reality
Long Term Evolution (LTE), the 3GPP 4G technology, is one of the
most advertised future mobile broadband technologies. But apparently
one aspect has been forgotten by the developers: Support for
traditional voice and SMS services.

Therefore, if LTE was designed to support only data services, can a

strategy without voice be successful?

One aspect that cannot be ignored is that traditional voice and SMS
services account for 85% of today’s worldwide mobile revenues. If the
decision to implement LTE has already been taken, what can be done
to maintain these considerable revenues and which of the existing
alternative options should be followed to overcome the LTE voice
dilemma?

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 LTE Voice Strategies
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Is the wireline history being repeated in wireless?

The history of wireline telecommunications service development towards low margin flat-
rates seems to be repeating itself in the case of wireless services.

Voice and SMS are currently responsible for about 85% of overall mobile revenues
worldwide and the share expected in 2013 is estimated to still be 75%. For this reason
operators have to protect these current cash cows when introducing mobile broadband data
services.

Not offering mobile broadband is not an option in the highly competitive telco markets as
sooner or later competitors will move in that direction. Therefore, LTE operators need a
strategy for addressing the voice challenge in order to protect the cash cows now and in the
future.

The LTE voice and SMS dilemma

LTE is one of the candidate technologies fulfilling the bandwidth requirements of mobile
broadband services. Operators who decide to implement it have to address one of the most
prominent LTE challenges, namely the lack of support for circuit-switched voice services.

3GPP expects that voice services are implemented over an IMS based architecture.
However, the shift from today’s circuit switched based voice service to IMS based services is
quite large and complex, as the IMS voice solution is seen as immature in mobile
environments.

As the traditional SMS service is also not supported by LTE, operators have to find other
ways to provide similar functionality. Modern messaging systems can replace the traditional
end-user SMS service, although this would cannibalize existing SMS revenues.

The additional complication with SMS is that many existing services make use of SMS for
remote device configuration or customer information. This issue has not been sufficiently
addressed by the LTE developers so far. If all other solutions fail, then a temporary
workaround for this problem may be that any new terminal first registers to the 2G/3G
network and obtains the configuration required for data services. Once the configuration has
been performed, registration to the LTE network can take place.

Operators have to find other ways of providing appropriate functionalities.

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 LTE Voice Strategies
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Proposed solutions: LTE voice strategies

There are currently four solutions for delivering voice services over LTE: Voice over LTE
Generic Access (VoLGA), Circuit-Switched Fallback, IMS-based Voice and Fast Track Voice
over LTE. These alternatives are depicted in the figure below:

1. VoLGA 2. CS fallback

2G/3G Core
2G/3G Core 2G/3G Core
2G/3G Core
Network
Network Network
Network

Seen as LTE
VoLGA AN LTE
2G/3G Core
Controller Core
network

2G/3G
2G/3G LTE
LTE 2G/3G
2G/3G LTE
LTE
Radio
Radio Core & Radio
Core & Radio Radio
Radio Radio
Radio
Network
Network push

LTE LTE

3. IMS Based Voice 4. Fast track voice over LTE

Upgraded
Upgraded
AS 2G/3G core
2G/3G core SIP
network
network communication
IMS

2G/3G
2G/3G LTE
LTE
Core &
Core & Radio
Radio Core &
Core & Radio
Radio LTE
LTE
Network Network
Network 2G/3G
2G/3G & Radio
Core &
Core Radio
Network
Radio
Radio Network
Network

LTE LTE

Figure 1: Four options for offering voice services

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 LTE Voice Strategies
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Option 1: VoLGA

This option requires that the LTE and 2G/3G networks are operated in parallel. When an
LTE subscriber initiates a voice call, a special network entity called VoLGA Access Network
Controller translates the LTE protocols into traditional 2G/3G protocols. The LTE network is
then regarded as if it were a 2G/3G radio network and the LTE terminal is treated as a
2G/3G terminal.

Time-to-market as the main advantage

With this solution the legacy 2G/3G network elements and voice services (e.g. prepaid) do
not need to be modified. This allows for a faster implementation in comparison with solutions
where an upgrade of the legacy network is required.

Moreover, the VoLGA Access Controller is principally a modified version of an existing 3GPP
standardized network element. Therefore, vendors can develop VoLGA network equipment
faster than other network solutions that need to be developed from scratch.

In addition, VoLGA allows LTE terminals to provide voice and data services in parallel. This
means for example that broadband video streaming can run independently and will not be
interrupted by a voice call.

Lack of standardization as the key drawback

Specially adapted terminals are required for VoLGA and it is currently unclear which terminal
vendors will support this solution. This is a setback to the expected benefit of faster network
implementation.

Another disadvantage is that voice service quality cannot be improved by the introduction of
better voice codecs, since these would not be supported by 2G/3G network elements.

With regard to the usage of SMS for configuration purposes, it is not clear whether SMSs
can be used on the terminal side to configure the communication path between the LTE and
2G/3G networks.

The major drawback of this option is that VoLGA is not yet standardized and currently only
proprietary solutions are available. However, all members of the VoLGA initiative are striving
to standardize VoLGA with 3GPP as a complement to the LTE standards. Currently, there is
only one big mobile operator backing VoLGA and the lack of further operator support creates
interoperability and roaming challenges. Without industry-wide acceptance, including 3GPP,
VoLGA will fail.

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Option 2: Circuit Switched Fallback

The second option also requires that both LTE and 2G/3G networks are operated in parallel.
The LTE terminal switches (falls back) into 2G or 3G mode when a voice call is initiated. In
this case, the LTE network pushes the mobile terminal to the legacy network for the voice
call procedures and all signaling and data traffic will be handled by the 2G/3G network.

Key advantage: Standardization

The main advantage of this approach is that it is standardized by 3GPP and it does not
require an additional network element between the LTE and the legacy network.

Key Drawbacks: Longer call set-up times and no support for parallel sessions

A major disadvantage of CS fallback is that the call set-up time is expected to be significantly
longer in comparison with existing 2G/3G networks. When initiating a voice call, the dual LTE
terminal needs to perform a complicated call set-up. The terminal first requests to be pushed
to the legacy network, and only afterwards is the actual call set-up performed. The
consequences are a degraded end user experience as well as service quality problems.

CS fallback cannot run voice and LTE data sessions in parallel. If an LTE subscriber wishes
to perform a voice call a previously initiated video stream will be dropped. Moreover, the
functionality of one legacy network element (the MSC) needs to be upgraded to be able to
handle the LTE terminal. This upgrade requires additional effort and costs.

This solution also requires support from the terminal. If the terminal has been “pushed” to the
2G/3G network in CS fallback, then the SMS service can be utilized for terminal
configuration procedures.

Option 3: IMS-based voice

The third option is to introduce IMS, which was designed to control both traditional circuit
switched voice and VoIP services. In this case, IMS acts as a centralized service control
point for both LTE and 2G/3G networks. This option is endorsed by 3GPP and it is
considered to be the long term solution for delivering voice services over LTE.

Standardization and technological maturity as an advantage

The advantages of this solution are inherited from IMS, namely that a single call control
solution may be used for all network access types, including wireline. Moreover, IMS is
already standardized by 3GPP and various vendor solutions exist in the market.

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Drawbacks also inherited from IMS technology

One of the critical challenges is the complex IMS integration with existing network elements.

Moreover, IMS has not been proven in commercial deployments and is not considered to be
mature enough for handling voice in mobile environments. Additionally, terminals are missing
and new roaming mechanisms and agreements need to be developed.

With regard to the usage of SMS for configuration purposes, there is no clear specification
yet as to how the initial service configuration can be performed for the IMS-based voice
solution.

One Voice profile as a subset of the IMS-based voice solution

One Voice has emerged as an industry initiative trying to define a technical profile for voice
and SMS service delivery via IMS. This profile is a framework that defines a minimum
mandatory (but extendable) set of features to be implemented in order to be able to offer
IMS-based telephony services over the LTE radio access. This approach has been widely
accepted by the industry, including operators.

By using a subset of existing IMS standards, the time-to-market will be shorter in comparison
to other solutions that need to be standardized from scratch. But this approach also needs to
address issues such as the unresolved roaming scenarios or the non-availability of
terminals.

Option 4: Fast Track Voice over LTE

Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) announced that they are to follow a separate route called
Fast Track Voice over LTE for enabling traditional voice over its 2G/3G and LTE network
equipment. NSN claims that their legacy network elements (MSC servers) already possess
SIP voice capabilities, and that after some software and hardware upgrades, the legacy
network will be able to handle the VoIP traffic from a LTE network.

The claimed advantage is that additional hardware will not be required since this solution is
an upgrade of legacy network nodes.

Assuming that this solution is IMS compliant, Fast Track Voice over LTE has the potential to
be a smooth transitional step towards IMS. However, this is only valid for networks that are
built on Nokia Siemens Networks equipment.

One drawback of this solution is that the required MSC upgrade implies additional effort and
costs. Also, a NSN proprietary solution will not be available to operators with non-NSN MSC
equipment. In order to improve on this aspect, NSN will have to convince other vendors to go
in the same direction. There are no signs of this at present.

Also it is not yet clear whether SMS can be used for service configuration for Fast Track
Voice over LTE or, if not, what the alternative solution would be.

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Conclusions for LTE voice strategies

VoLGA is currently not standardized and lacks operator support.

CS fallback implies long voice call set-up times and does not support parallel voice and LTE
broadband data sessions.

IMS is the established long term solution, but needs time to mature in mobile environments.
The One Voice profile as a subset of the IMS-based voice solution might help that matter to
some extent.

Fast Track Voice over LTE could be a smooth migration option toward IMS, but it is
proprietary.

One major success factor of GSM is the worldwide applicability of a single standard. It is
exactly this success factor which would be put at risk if operators select different voice
solutions based on LTE.

Conclusion and recommendations

Ultimately, LTE will enter the telecommunications markets driven by the requirements for
higher bandwidth at lower prices.

Operators who have already decided to implement LTE should start with the introduction of a
data-only network. There are user devices that do not require voice (e.g. data cards) and
LTE can be initially implemented to support these services. In this role LTE will supplement
the provision of much-needed broadband wireless access capacity.

Deploying LTE in this way will give operators time until the voice dilemma has been
resolved. Additionally, operators will have more time to gain experience with the maturing
LTE technology and to prepare the migration to IMS.

However, offering data services only means risking that LTE is perceived mainly as a WLAN/
DSL substitute. If it is seen merely as a DSL replacement, users will expect a DSL-type low
price.

LTE voice support is essential in order to optimize and downscale legacy networks. The
parallel operation of three different network infrastructures (2G/3G/LTE) is not economic in
the long run.

A common, industry-wide LTE voice strategy is required in order to preserve the existing
GSM advantage of worldwide voice service interoperability. Operators should refrain from
offering traditional voice services over LTE until a common, stable solution and associated
migration path are established and accepted by the telecommunications industry.

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