5G Supported Voice, Data, and Video Call Characteristics

I. Service Support Similar to 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile communication systems, 5G (NR) systems support services categorized into three main types: voice, data, and video. A cellular mobile system consists of two basic parts: the mobile terminal (UE) and the network (composed of base stations and backend data connection components such as the core network and fiber optics).

II. System Characteristics 5G is developed according to 3GPP standards Release 15 and higher, and is backward compatible with LTE and LTE-Advanced Pro. Currently, 5G systems are being developed in multiple frequency bands to support spectrum regulation worldwide. A 5G system can be composed of three parts:

• UE (i.e., the terminal - mobile phone)
• gNB (i.e., the base station)
• CN (i.e., the core network)

III. 5G Network Deployment 5G deployment is divided into Non-Standalone (NSA) and Standalone (SA) architectures. Specifically:

• In NSA, the UE operates simultaneously on both the LTE eNB and the 5G gNB. In this mode, the UE uses the C-plane (control plane) of the LTE eNB for initial synchronization, and then camps on the U-plane (user plane) of the 5G gNB for traffic exchange.

• In SA, the UE operates only in the presence of a 5G base station (gNB). In this mode, the UE uses the control plane of the 5G base station for initial synchronization, and then also camps on the user plane of the 5G base station for traffic exchange.

IV. Service Call Flow

• 4.1 Voice Call Flow

5G voice calls establish a circuit between the caller and the called party to enable voice transmission and reception over the 5G network. Voice calls are of two types:

• Mobile-initiated call
• Mobile-terminated call

Regular voice calls can be made using 4G/5G phones without any applications.

• 4.2 Data Call Flow

5G data calls establish a virtual circuit between the caller and the called party to enable data transmission and reception over the 5G network. Data calls are of two types:

• Mobile-initiated packet-switched call
• Mobile-terminated packet-switched call

Specific services include normal internet browsing and uploading/downloading after establishing an internet connection with the 5G network and the 5G phone (i.e., the terminal).

• 4.3 Video Call Flow

5G video calls establish a connection between two phones (or terminals) and use a packet-switched connection for video transmission and reception; it uses applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and GTalk over the internet connection.