Bharti Airtel to offer voice service to 4G customers

Bharti Airtel, the country's leading telecom service provider by subscriber base, will soon launch voice service for its 4G customers in Pune, through its existing GSM network.

The operator has selected Nokia Siemens Networks to deploy its Circuit Switched Fallback (CSFB) voice solution in the operator's live TD-LTE network in the city. With CSFB, the network can transfer customers to GSM platform to make and receive voice calls and access voicemails while retaining the experience of ultra-fast data services on 4G smart phones.

''Bharti Airtel has the advantage of pan-India GSM and 3G networks and with the deployment of cutting edge CSFB functionality, we will have the flexibility of using either or both the networks to support voice services on our TD-LTE platform. The solution will enable our 4G customers to enjoy high-quality voice services on GSM network and ultra-fast data services on TD-LTE platform – thereby allowing them to have a unified experience on a 4G handset,'' Jagbir Singh, chief technology officer and director (Network Services Group), Bharti Airtel, said.

Nokia Siemens Networks has deployed its radio network elements in addition to its voice core and packet core network elements to the commercially launched network of Bharti Airtel in Pune.

Te Telecom Commission, the highest decision-making body of the telecom ministry, had in its 18 February order, had permitted 4G wireless broadband airwave holders to provide voice services.

If approved by the ministry, the move would help companies such as the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio Infocomm, Augere, Tikona Digital, who hold 4G spectrum that they won in 2010 auction to offer voice service.