Vodacom South Africa has made history by successfully completing the country’s first native voice call on 5G, known as Voice over New Radio (VoNR). This breakthrough was achieved on Vodacom’s test network and marks an important step toward launching full 5G voice services on the live network.
Beverly Ngwenya, Vodacom’s Technology Director, emphasized the significance of this milestone. She said, “This achievement reflects our commitment to technological innovation and pioneering next-generation connectivity solutions. In an era of AI and digital transformation, reliable and fast connectivity is essential. This moment showcases the strength of our network and the dedication of our teams in shaping South Africa’s mobile future.”
This successful VoNR call builds on Vodacom’s legacy of network innovation. In 2014, Vodacom was the first in South Africa to launch native Voice over LTE (VoLTE), which improved call quality and setup times compared to traditional 2G and 3G services. The move to 5G native VoNR promises even faster call setup, ultra-high-definition audio quality, and reduced background noise — elevating user experience to new heights.
Vodacom utilized its advanced Single Packet Core (SPC) technology for the VoNR call, a complex deployment involving cloud orchestration, cloud-native applications, and network upgrades. Its successful execution demonstrates Vodacom’s ability to provide seamless, high-quality voice services across multiple access technologies.
Ngwenya highlighted that this achievement cements Vodacom’s leadership in 5G innovation and signals a major step toward offering a comprehensive 5G ecosystem. She concluded, “This milestone not only showcases our technological capabilities but also prepares us to deliver future-ready services that will benefit our customers and support South Africa’s digital growth.”