New coalition backs LTE standard

Telecoms giants develop technical profile for LTE voice and SMS services

Long Term Evolution is designed to increase the capacity and speed of mobile networks

A coalition of industry players has launched the One Voice initiative with the aim of boosting the use of Long Term Evolution (LTE) in communications.

Wireless providers including Verizon, Vodafone, AT&T, Nokia and Samsung Electronics announced the Voice over IP Multimedia Subsystem (PDF) standard yesterday, saying that they would deliver improved voice and communications services using LTE networks.

The telecoms heavyweights have developed a technical profile for LTE voice and SMS services offering an optimal set of existing 3GPP-specified functionalities that they expect network vendors, service providers and handset manufacturers to adopt.

"By following the jointly defined technical profile, the industry can help guarantee international roaming and interoperability for LTE voice and SMS services, ensuring continuity of these vital services while offering service providers a smooth and well-defined path to LTE," said the group in a statement.

The initiative will improve broadband access to cope with increasing data, voice and SMS traffic, and provide equipment vendors and device manufacturers with improved interoperability, it added.

"LTE will, with this initiative, not only serve as a broadband access for increasing data traffic, but for continuing voice and SMS services," the group said.

"Network operators will be able to more quickly develop their customised LTE ecosystem in collaboration with network equipment vendors and device manufacturers.

The group added that global interoperability and the ability to offer broadband access and telephony services over LTE, will create "strong foundations for future business".