Vodafone Germany activates Voice over NR for 5G calls

Vodafone Germany has activated Voice over New Radio (VoNR) technology for 5G users in Frankfurt, Leipzig and parts of Düsseldorf, the telco said in a release.

The telco said that customers using Samsung S23 smartphones can now also make calls via 5G using this technology, which converts voice signals into data packets that are transmitted within the 5G network.

The company also noted that it will gradually expand this technology to other cities across Germany, adding that additional smartphones will also support VoNR in the near future.

“We are expanding our 5G network across the board and we are improving it by unlocking new technologies. We activated this technology at more than 300 cell phone sites. The technology upgrade saves smartphone batteries, connects us faster with each other and increases the voice quality,” said Vodafone network boss Tanja Richter.

Last year, Vodafone Germany launched its 5G Standalone (SA) network in partnership with Ericsson, Nokia, Qualcomm and Oppo.

For the 5G expansion, Vodafone is relying on frequencies in the 3.6 GHz, 1.8 GHz and 700 MHz bands in large urban areas, residential areas and suburbs, and rural areas across Germany. It initially launched its 5G network in Germany in 2019, using 3.5 GHz frequencies that it acquired from Telefónica in 2018.

The carrier said it aimed to activate 2,700 new 5G sites with a total of 8,000 antennas in the first half of 2023, and  that 5G SA technology will reach nationwide coverage by 2025. Currently its 5G network is already providing coverage to 67 million people across the country, representing nearly 81% of Germany’s population.