VoLTE Service Description and Implementation Guide (Version 2.0)

Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) is the industry recognised solution for providing a rich multimedia HD Voice service over the LTE access technology. VoLTE utilises IMS technology and provides a common platform in which to provide an enriched calling experience by deploying Conversational Video and Rich Communication Services (RCS). In 2014 we have seen an increased number of VoLTE deployments in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and the USA; with a large number of Operators projected to deploy in 2015.

GSMA have been actively engaged the industry in regards to VoLTE deployments to gain further insight into trials, commercial deployments and live operations of the service. In this regard, a new version of the VoLTE Service Description and Implementation Guidelines has been published to include Conversational Video, Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC) to provide seamless handover of voice calls from VoLTE to 2G / 3G access, and intra-LTE Handover.

In addition, GSMA have also created an online IP Communications Issues Registry found here. The registry contains the issues discovered during Interoperability testing (IOT) and Operators commercial deployments and provides guidelines for the VoLTE implementations in order to achieve seamless interoperability of VoLTE products and accelerate their time-to-market (TTM). The registry provides the capability to raise issues in an anonymous manner that are related to LTE, IMS and RCS Deployments, track issues that have been raised, allowing resolution of issues within GSMA technical documentation or liaising with external organisations for resolution.