T-Mobile US launches voice over 5G

Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung and Qualcomm all chipped in for the launch of TMUS’s voice over 5G service, which is now available in areas of Portland and Salt Lake City, as long as you have a Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.

The service is expected to be available in more areas in the next year over T-Mobile’s standalone 5G network, and be accessible on more smartphones phones other than that one Samsung Galaxy.

What’s the point of voice calls over 5G? ‘Slightly faster call set-up times, meaning less delay between the time they dial a number and when the phone starts ringing’ says T-Mobile.

“We don’t just have the leading 5G network in the country,” boasted Neville Ray, President of Technology at TMUS. “T-Mobile is setting the pace for providers around the globe as we push the industry forward – now starting to roll out another critical service over 5G. 5G is already driving new levels of engagement, transforming how our customers use their smartphones and bringing unprecedented connectivity to areas that desperately need it. And it’s just going to get better thanks to the incredible T-Mobile team and our partners who are tirelessly innovating and advancing the capabilities of 5G every day.”

Jude Buckley, Executive Vice President, Mobile eXperience at Samsung Electronics America added: “At Samsung, we want to give our users the best possible 5G experience on every device — and today’s announcement represents a big step forward. By supporting extensive integration and testing, and working alongside an industry leader like T-Mobile, we’re bringing to life all the benefits of 5G technology with the help of our Samsung Galaxy devices.”

Obviously it could be argued voice calls are no longer the go-to comms method for many. But we’d sooner see clearly usable features provided by next generation connectivity used to promote it, as opposed to light-hearted but ultimately useless suggestions such as ability to land a commercial plane from the comfort of your front room.

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