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The VoLGA Forum, a group promoting the “Voice over LTE (News - Alert) via Generic Access” technology, reportedly has published the first complete set of Voice over LTE specifications, which will help mobile operators to deliver voice and SMS messaging services over LTE access networks.

The complete Voice over LTE specifications can be downloaded at VoLGA-Forum.com.

The Voice over LTE via Generic Access, or VoLGA, technology is based on the existing 3GPP “Generic Access Network” standard and will allow mobile subscribers to receive a consistent set of voice, SMS and other circuit-switched services as they switch between GSM, UMTS and LTE access networks.

Generally, there are three different ways to deliver voice services over LTE - IP Multimedia Subsystem (News - Alert), circuit-switch fallback (using 2G or 3G networks) and circuit-switch-over-packet – where the traffic is channeled over LTE.

Currently, VoLGA technology is considered to be low-cost, low-risk CS-over-packet approach for mobile operators. The goal is bring their primary revenue generating services, such as voice and SMS, to their upcoming LTE access network deployments.

The VoLGA Forum, which was initiated to promote an approach for extending traditional GSM and UMTS circuit-switched services over LTE access networks, mainly comprises many companies in the wireless industry.

In order to promote the widespread adoption of VoLGA technology, VoLGA Forum participants started developing a new set of open specifications. In July, the VoLGA Forum published the second version of specifications for its circuit-switch-over-packet approach for voice services over LTE. Now, the forum has successfully come-up with the complete set of specifications, which will be ready for submission to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards body by the end of this year.

These specifications can also be leveraged by vendors and operators of wireless communications systems and applications to develop and deploy interoperable solutions.

The new VoLGA specifications brings and SMS services over LTE radio access networks and femtocells. It also enables mobile operators to provide an improved overall user experience -- capitalizing on the performance advantages of LTE.

Apart from facilitating mobile operators with smooth transition to IMS telephony, the VoLGA also enables them to launch data-only LTE devices (USB dongles, netbooks, etc.) leveraging the existing SMS-based customer-care applications, such as remote device management, configuration updates and SMS-based service announcements. 

Currently, the VoLGA Forum constitutes 21 member companies including Alcatel-Lucent, Deutsche Telekom (News - Alert), Ditech Networks, GENBAND, HTC, Huawei, Kineto Wireless, LG Electronics, Mavenir, Motorola, Nortel, Samsung, Sonus, Starent Networks, Tecore Networks, Ulticom (News - Alert), WiChorus and ZTE.