Optus and OPPO successfully complete a voice call over a 5G standalone network in partnership with Ericsson

Optus, in collaboration with global industry leaders Ericsson and OPPO, have doubled down on 5G advancements by successfully carrying out a voice call over a commercial 5G standalone network.

Optus successfully demonstrated their first Evolved Packet System Fallback call which leads the way for what will become the next evolution in mobile calling. When launched commercially this technology will enable 5G standalone services to customers on smartphones, providing Optus customers with exciting new experiences and more innovative options they love.

Lambo Kanagaratnam, Optus Managing Director Networks, said that 5G standalone will allow Optus to unleash the full power of 5G through even greater data performance, faster connection times and lower latency.

“The exciting next chapter in Australia’s 5G story is standalone voice, using advanced technology to create an adaptive network that takes us even closer to delivering a full-service, future-proof 5G experience. Optus is paving the way on 5G innovation and our passion to provide our customers with the best, authentic 5G experience has driven us to raise the bar on value and service,” said Mr Kanagaratnam.

“The future’s full 5G experience will be underpinned by 5G standalone and our investment today provides the rocket fuel for future fast connectivity that will soon benefit our customers. The success of this technology milestone is a leap towards full deployment of Optus’ 5G standalone architecture nationwide, and we are already working on enabling 5G standalone voice calls using Voice over New Radio.

“As we evolve our network, 5G standalone will enable future opportunities, including on-premise 5G and end-to-end network slicing allowing personalisation and control for our customers. As connectivity becomes even more important, Optus is committed to evolving our technology and delivering exciting new experiences with increased network performance that transforms how our customers connect and communicate with each other.”

This voice call was conducted on Optus’ network using Evolved Packet System Fallback (EPS-FB), which utilised Ericsson Radio Access Network (RAN) technology, Ericsson cloud native dual-mode 5G Core for standalone networks, Ericsson Cloud IMS and Oppo’s Find X3 Pro 5G handset.

Martin Wiktorin, Ericsson’s Head of Global Customer Unit Singtel, says “The move to 5G standalone will open up a range of new connectivity opportunities for Optus customers, enabling the delivery of richer and more immersive user experiences for current and future 5G applications. This is an exciting step in the 5G era and Ericsson is committed to helping Australians access the best in 5G technology.”

Speaking of the latest accomplishment, Michael Tran, Managing Director, OPPO Australia said: “As a business, OPPO has been at the forefront of 5G since 2015, filing more than 3,700 patents globally to put faster speeds and immersive technologies into the hands of everyday Aussies. Our vision is to offer all consumers the best possible smartphone experience and connecting them to a 5G standalone network is the next step in that journey.”

Media queries:

Optus Corporate Affairs 
(02) 8082 7850 

media@optus.com.au