5G spectrum auctions and rollout may still be some months off in India, but 5G trials are well under way. Vodafone Idea Limited (aka Vi) is the latest operator to announce that it has successfully demonstrated 5G voice over new radio (VoNR).
Vi carried out the demonstration with its technology partner Nokia using government-allocated 5G spectrum during ongoing 5G trials in Gandhinagar, the capital of the state of Gujarat on the western coast of the country.
The VoNR trial was carried out using Nokia’s comprehensive portfolio of solutions including its AirScale 5G RAN, 5G core and IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) voice core. Once deployed, the partners say, the VoNR solution will enable Vi to offer its subscribers high-definition voice experience over 5G, as well as several advanced voice applications and use cases in the future.
Currently, Vi is conducting 5G trials on government-allocated 5G spectrum not only in Gandhinagar but also in Pune, the second-largest city in the state of Maharashtra in India’s western and central peninsular region.
Jagbir Singh, CTO, Vodafone Idea Limited, is quoted as saying: “We are testing technology solutions for offering superior network experience and use cases of relevance to digital enterprises and consumers during our 5G trials.”
As India’s Economic Times news service points out, this makes Vi the second Indian operator to demonstrate 5G VoNR after Reliance Jio.
