Mavenir platform allows operators to pick their VoLTE flavor

Mavenir today announced it is supporting circuit-switch fallback in its voice-over-long-term evolution (VoLTE) platform, offering up an option to mobile operators that can’t or don’t want to make the transition to IP telephony voice services over their new LTE networks right away.

While CDMA operators such as Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ, NYSE:VOD) are making the jump directly to IP multimedia Subsystem (IMS)-based architectures, which will allow them to offer a full-fledged VoIP service with all of the bells and whistles, other operators are choosing to keep their 2G/3G voice services separate from their LTE data services or, like AT&T (NYSE:T), are making the transition gradually (CP: VZW the exception in 2G-LTE VoIP migration). For that latter category of operators, circuit-switched fallback (CSF) will be key to maintaining voice service while customers are on the LTE data networks. The CSF function detects when an incoming call is on its way and switches the phone over to the 2G or 3G network, where it can accept a circuit-switched call.

Mavenir is adding the fallback interworking function to its mOne Convergence platform, which supports three distinct stages of VoLTE integration. The first stage, CSF, essentially uses an operator's legacy mobile switching center, requiring little fiddling with the network except for slotting the Interworking function into the mix.

The second stage is a hybrid approach, which allows an operator to link a legacy MSC to a telephony application server, thus extending existing voice services to the LTE IP network in an IMS environment. The solution allows customers to move between the circuit-switched and VoIP networks without problem, but doesn’t support the full range of advanced services a full IMS implementation would allow.

The final stage is all IMS, all the time. The application server becomes the focal point for multimedia telephony, allowing an operator to deliver a wide array of session initiation protocol-based enhanced services such as video collaboration and IP-PBX services in an all-IP environment.

According to Shubh Agarwal, vice president of marketing for Mavenir, the CSF function announced today is in its first trials with a European operator, but the multiple operators have already tapped Mavenir for IMS-based VoLTE products. In the U.S., two of the four Tier 1 wireless operators have deployed the full-bore IMS solution (Given that only two nationwide operators have announced LTE deployments, AT&T and Verizon Wireless are the most obvious candidates, but Sprint could also be in the mix) as has MetroPCS (NYSE:PCS). Metro has already used Mavenir’s solution to migrate its SMS and MMS onto IMS.