Qualcomm, ZTE Successfully Test Voice Call Over 5G

Qualcomm and ZTE today announced that they have successfully tested a Voice over New Radio (VoNR) call. VoNR is essential for the rollout of 5G SA (stand-alone) networks. All current 5G networks are NSA (non-stand-alone), meaning they only work as an add-on to existing 4G networks. On a 5G NSA network, all voice calls happen over the 4G network. With VoNR, 5G SA networks will be able to handle voice calls and operate independently of 4G networks. 5G SA networks will also be more efficient and unlock additional benefits of 5G such as lower latency. The milestone announced today was achieved using ZTE's 5G NR base station and a 5G smartphone form factor test device from Qualcomm.