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Voice Over WiFi

Mitel Special Edition

by Lawrence C. Miller

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Voice Over WiFi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition

Published by
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Copyright 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
About This Book......................................................................... 2
Foolish Assumptions.................................................................. 2
Icons Used in This Book............................................................. 3
Beyond the Book......................................................................... 3
Where to Go from Here.............................................................. 3

Chapter1: Recognizing the Mobile Imperative. . . . . . . . 5

Voice Communications AreIncreasingly Mobile.................... 5
Mobile Challenges and Opportunities in the Enterprise....... 6
Understanding the Cellular Network Transformation........... 8

Chapter2: Understanding Mobile Technology

Challenges andOpportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Limitations of Traditional Cellular Wireless
Voice Services....................................................................... 11
OTT WiFi Based Voice Services............................................. 12
LTE and IPbased Voice............................................................ 14
VoLTE improves voice quality...................................... 16
VoLTE is an enablement platform for VoWiFi............. 17

Chapter3: Addressing VoWiFi Challenges. . . . . . . . . . . 19

Supporting Authentication Methods...................................... 19
Mobility Across WiFi and LTE................................................ 20
User Data Synchronization...................................................... 21
Looking at Quality of Service Challenges............................... 22
Using Location Services........................................................... 23
WiFi Signal Quality................................................................... 24
Handoff 3G/2G.......................................................................... 24

Chapter4: Enabling VoWiFi with the

Mitel WiFi Calling Solution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Enabling a VoWiFi Solution...................................................... 27
The Mitel WiFi Calling Solution.............................................. 28
Mitel Telephony Application Server (TAS)............................ 29
Deploying the Mitel WiFi Calling Solution............................ 30

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iv

Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

Chapter5: Examining VoWiFi UseCases . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

InBuilding Coverage................................................................. 33
Roam If You Want to, RoamAround the World.................... 34

Chapter6: Ten Key VoWiFi Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

What is VoWiFi?........................................................................ 37
Why Deploy VoWiFi?................................................................ 38
Which WiFi Networks Matter?................................................ 39
Is QoS Required for VoWiFi?.................................................... 40
Why Deploy VoWiFi if Voice Services Are Declining?.......... 41
Do Operators Lose Control of Their Subscribers
on WiFi?................................................................................. 41
Can Calls Handoff from WiFi to Cellular?............................. 42
Do Operators Need a Full VoLTE Deployment
for VoWiFi?............................................................................. 42
Will VoWiFi Change Regulatory Requirements?................... 42
How Should Operators Charge for VoWiFi Services?........... 43

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Introduction

iFi is a big part of our always on digitally connected lives. Over the past few years WiFi access has
become pervasive, and its use is growing exponentially. You
can use WiFi in your home, at work, on the go at hotspots,
airports, and even in airplanes and vehicles. WiFi has revolutionized the consumer market, and its adoption across the
entire range of consumer electronics is making WiFi a constant presence in our daily lives.
Consumers are increasingly relying on WiFi enabled mobile
devices for access to highspeed data services. According
to market research firm Analysis Mason, as people spend
80percent of their time indoors, over 50 percent of
smartphone data usage is over WiFi. WiFi is significantly
faster than typical 3G networks and is often freely available.
With ready access to WiFi, consumers have turned to
free overthetop (OTT) communication services, such as
FaceTime, Skype, Viber, WhatsApp, and other apps for voice
calling and international calling services. This untethering of
OTT applications led to Skype delivering over 50 percent of all
international minutes in 2015.
WiFi access is a major trend, and its going to be an even
bigger part of the mobile revolution. With the continuous
growth of mobile data traffic and the ubiquity of WiFi services available inside virtually every building, WiFi is a logical means for mobile operators to improve their networks,
increase reliability, differentiate, and create revenue generating services on WiFi enabled devices. Its transformational
and integral to operators cloud services strategies. Voice
over WiFi (VoWiFi), or WiFi Calling, is the first step toward
this transformation and several mobile operators are already
actively expanding to carriergrade WiFi Calling.

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Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

About This Book

Voice over WiFi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition, consists
of six short chapters that explore the following:
The mobile communications trend (Chapter1)
Mobile technology challenges (Chapter2)
VoWiFi challenges (Chapter3)
Mitel VoWiFi solutions for carriers and enterprises
(Chapter4)
Common VoWiFi use cases and customer success stories
(Chapter5)
Key questions (and answers) about VoWiFi technologies
and deployments (Chapter6)

Foolish Assumptions
Its been said that most assumptions have outlived their uselessness, but I assume a few things nonetheless!
Mainly, I assume that youre an IT infrastructure or network
professional, such as an engineer, manager, or IT decision
maker. I also assume that youre working for a mobile
carrier such as a mobile network operator (MNO) or
mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) or a large
enterprise thats interested in deploying VoWiFi. As such, this
book is written primarily for technical readers that know a
little something about modern IT networking, infrastructure,
unified communications, mobile technology, WiFi, and
enterprise systems.
If any of these assumptions describe you, then this book is for
you! If none of these assumptions describe you, keep reading
anyway. Its a great book and when you finish reading it, youll
know enough about VoWiFi to be dangerous!

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Introduction

Icons Used in This Book

Throughout this book, I occasionally use special icons to call
attention to important information. Heres what to expect:
This icon points out information that you should commit
to your nonvolatile memory, your gray matter, or your
noggin along with anniversaries and birthdays!
You wont find a map of the human genome here, but if you
seek to attain the seventh level of NERDvana, perk up! This
icon explains the jargon beneath the jargon and is the stuff
legends well, nerds are made of!
Thank you for reading, hope you enjoy the book, please take
care of your writers! Seriously, this icon points out helpful
suggestions and useful nuggets of information.
This icon points out the stuff your mother warned you about.
Okay, probably not. But you should take heed nonetheless
you might just save yourself some time and frustration!

Beyond the Book

Theres only so much I can cover in 48 short pages, so if you
find yourself at the end of this book, thinking gosh, this was
an amazing book, where can I learn more? just go to www.
mitel.com.

Where to Go from Here

With my apologies to Lewis Carroll, Alice, and the
Cheshirecat:
Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from
here?
That depends a good deal on where you want to get to, said
the Cat err, the Dummies Man.
I dont much care where..., said Alice.

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Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

Then it doesnt matter which way you go!
Thats certainly true of Voice over WiFi For Dummies, Mitel
Special Edition, which, like Alice in Wonderland, is also destined to become a timeless classic!
If you dont know where youre going, any chapter will get
you there but Chapter1 might be a good place to start!
However, if you see a particular topic that piques your interest, feel free to jump ahead to that chapter. Each chapter
is written to stand on its own, so feel free to start reading
anywhere and skip around to your hearts content! Read this
book in any order that suits you (though I dont recommend
upside down or backwards).
I promise you wont get lost falling down the rabbit hole!

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Chapter1

Recognizing the Mobile

Imperative
In This Chapter
Appreciating the rise of mobile communications
Looking at mobile challenges and opportunities
Understanding how cellular networks are evolving

n this chapter, I review the impact of mobile trends on

voice (and data) communications, as well as the challenges and opportunities these trends create for enterprises
and service providers.

Voice Communications
AreIncreasingly Mobile
Today, voice communications are increasingly mobile. Many
businesses and households are forgoing traditional landline
phones, instead relying solely on their mobile devices for
all of their telephone needs. In fact, according to the United
States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
over 40 percent of U.S. households have only a mobile phone.
Relax, although some might argue that mobile-phone use
has become an epidemic, the CDC isnt researching a deadly
outbreak involving mobile phones! But the CDC does conduct
many surveys via phone, and the trend of replacing landline
phones with mobile phones was identified in their research
conducted since 2003. In most markets today, mobile minutes
exceed landline minutes, and voice minutes on mobile devices
as a percentage of all voice minutes are increasing rapidly.
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Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

These voice trends are hardly surprising given the explosive
growth of mobile subscriptions worldwide. Currently, there
are more than 2.6 billion smartphone subscriptions worldwide, and the total number of mobile subscriptions (including
smartphones, mobile broadband, tablets, smart devices, and
more) is 7.2 billion!
Of course, voice is only part of the mobile story. Check out
these stats:
According to Facebook, more than 50 percent of its users
are exclusively mobile over 700 million users today
only access Facebook on their mobile devices and
53percent of all email communication is done on mobile
devices.
According to the June 2016 Ericsson Mobility Report,
total monthly voice traffic in the first quarter of 2016 was
approximately 250 petabytes, and growth in voice traffic
since 2011 has remained relatively flat.
Total mobile monthly data traffic in the first quarter of
2016 was approximately 5,900 petabytes, or 60 percent
growth year over year (YoY).
Mobile devices have become the tether point for the future,
driving a large majority of technological innovation today.

Mobile Challenges and

Opportunities in the Enterprise
For the enterprise, mobility creates many new challenges
and opportunities. According to many estimates, productivity can be negatively impacted by up to 40 percent due to
poor mobile integration. Employees expect to be able to
work as effectively from anywhere, at any time, and on any
device as if they were working at their desk in a corporate
office.
Yet another major facet of the mobile challenge for enterprises is bring your own device (BYOD) and bring your own
apps (BYOA) trends. Organizations that dont embrace BYOD
and BYOA policies may suffer a significant loss of productivity
due to the following:

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Chapter1: Recognizing the Mobile Imperative

Employees being unable to use the applications they

need when theyre out of the office
Employees creating a shadow IT culture, in which they
download and use their own apps to perform certain
work functions, without the knowledge or support of corporate IT
A dangerous cat and mouse game between employees attempting to circumvent security controls and IT
attempting to enforce draconian security policies
These organizations also face serious risks due to a loss of
control over their mobile environment, which can result in
critical processes being performed in unsanctioned or unofficial apps and sensitive customer or corporate data being
processed and stored on personal mobile devices.
A February 2016 Ponemon Institute study estimates that the
average cost of a data breach resulting from a compromised
mobile device is $21,042. According to the study, 67 percent
of respondents from Global 2000 companies say it is certain
or likely that their organizations had a data breach as a result
of employees using their mobile devices to access the companys sensitive and confidential information.
Numerous opportunities also exist for mobile enterprises to
transform their business and competitive position. For example, customers and partners increasingly expect native mobile
integration and an omnichannel experience with Internet
facing applications and services.
An omnichannel experience enables users to transition seamlessly between devices. For example, a business user might
begin a conference call on her smartphones cellular network
while traveling to the office, then automatically switch to the
corporate WiFi network upon entering her office building,
then pick up her desk phone and join a web conference all
seamlessly, through a single user interface, with the same full
functionality without interrupting the call.

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Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

Understanding the Cellular

Network Transformation
Cellular networks began as a novel means to untether basic
telephone functions, but with the advent of data services
first text and email, then web browsing, and now apps and
video the cellular network, and the way its used, is evolving.
As new mobile applications are developed, the demand for
more bandwidth increases and, conversely, as more bandwidth
capacity becomes available, the demand for more fullfeatured,
contentrich mobile applications increases. The result is that
technology is fueling the demand for ever more bandwidth,
and vice versa. The transition from simple text messages, to
email, and then to web browsing, increased the demand for
bandwidth, but the proliferation of video is causing demand for
still more bandwidth to explode.
While cellular network architectures and capacity are being
driven by an ever increasing appetite for mobile video and
apps, services like voice telephony are on a very small growth
curve, if at all. CTIA (The Wireless Association, originally
known as the Cellular Telephone Industries Association) estimates an average growth of data usage in mobile networks of
38 percent to 2020, while mobile telephony minutes are only
growing at around 10 percent and slowing. The result is that
telephony traffic now represents a relatively small percentage
of overall mobile traffic.
The shift from a desktoporiented to a mobileoriented world
has been transformational, not only for users, but also for the
network. According to eMarketer, in 2016 the average user
will spend 3 hours and 8 minutes a day accessing a range of
digital information on their mobile device, while only spending 2 hours and 11 minutes on a desktop computer. This is a
major change from 2011, when only 17 percent of digital time
was spent on mobile devices.
In addition to the 5 hours and 19 minutes that the average
person spends consuming digital data on his mobile and
desktop devices today, he spends an average of 4 hours and
3 minutes watching television. However, television viewing
is increasingly becoming mobile and moving to the digital
domain, delivered over the cellular network infrastructure.

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Chapter1: Recognizing the Mobile Imperative

Changes in television viewing habits moving from inhome

to mobile will also drive the demand for more bandwidth
on cellular networks.
With LongTerm Evolution (LTE), the mobile industry defined
a new, fully IPbased communications architecture. The
LTE architecture assumes that the user is on a smartphone
device that uses packetized IP traffic as the primary way to
send and receive data. However, this change in the basic
architecture from the voiceoriented mobile networks of
the past to todays IP networks is only part of the story.
LTE is penetrating the market rapidly. With the shift from feature phones to smartphones, the demand for the bandwidth
that LTE offers is increasing rapidly. The GSM Association
(GSMA) forecasts that there will be 4.1 billion LTE subscribers by 2021. This increase in both user base and individual
demands for video and apps is driving the migration to 5G
technologies and the higher bandwidth it promises.
By moving voice traffic from the circuitswitched core of
2G/3G networks to a Voice over LTE (VoLTE) implementation,
carriers can dramatically reduce the bandwidth that voice
traffic uses, by carrying it on 4G and eventually 5G data
networks. Additionally, in the future, carriers will be able
to recover and reuse the spectrum that the 2G/3G circuit
switched network occupies. The migration of voice minutes
from 2G/3G networks to LTE (and Voice over WiFi, or VoWiFi)
eliminates the need to expand capacity in 2G/3G networks in
most areas.
Moving voice to LTE will eventually enable carriers to redeploy the spectrum currently used for 2G/3G. 4G and 5G are
built on much more advanced cellular technologies than
2G/3G, enabling up to 100 times more digital traffic as a function of spectrum use. As spectrum is a very expensive capital
cost for wireless operators, this reuse of spectrum into a
much more bandwidth effective and general use spectrum
will enable new services with better overall economics. Also,
much of the 2G/3G spectrum is at lower frequencies, which
will enable larger coverage areas and better penetration for
4G and 5G networks. As a result, LTE (and VoLTE) will drive
the mobile world for at least the next decade due to its value
to mobile carriers, as well as the advent of enhanced enduser
services like highdefinition (HD) audio and video conferencing that LTE enables.
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10

Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

As the mobile world moves to VoLTE, the technologies are
enabling a parallel movement to VoWiFi. VoLTE and VoWiFi
are both IPbased technologies, so both can be supported and
managed in a similar manner:
Both use IP packets, so moving calls from one network to
the other can be accomplished in the IP domain and can
be managed end to end, resulting in lower latency and
better manageability.
Both require a handoff or fallback to the 2G/3G circuit
switched network for calls that need to migrate to 2G/3G
service (when VoLTE/VoWiFi or LTE/WiFi isnt available).
Both can be supported by the IP Multimedia Subsystem
(IMS) core, enhancing security, reducing battery drain,
and delivering better user experiences.
While both technologies are similar, theyre also complementary in solving key issues that plague the mobile world. For
example, both enable new services like HD audio and video.
However, VoWiFi addresses two key issues that remain in cellular networks, even with VoLTE and 5G:
VoWiFi addresses inbuilding coverage challenges.
VoWiFi enables offnetwork roaming at potentially dramatically reduced costs.
Both of these subscriberfriendly capabilities can be provided
while simultaneously reducing radio traffic and enabling additional bandwidth for additional revenue generating services.
The key value of LTE for service providers is the ability to
increase bandwidth without the need for a fundamental
architectural change: The coming 5G technology can be implemented in the same LTE framework. This enables the industry
to smoothly incorporate the innovations in technology that
drive a 10x bandwidth increase every 7 to 8 years.

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Chapter2

Understanding Mobile
Technology Challenges
andOpportunities
In This Chapter
Recognizing coverage and bandwidth challenges in cellular
Exploring OTT voice options
Building toward the future with LTE and all IPbased voice services

n this chapter, you learn about different mobile technology

challenges, including limitations of cellular wireless, the
rise of overthetop (OTT) services, and LongTerm Evolution
(LTE) and IPbased voice challenges and opportunities.

Limitations of Traditional
Cellular Wireless Voice Services
The geographic availability and coverage of cellular wireless
service has improved dramatically over the past 20 years.
However, limited inbuilding signal availability continues to
have a significant impact on overall cellular wireless service.
According to a recent survey conducted for SpiderCloud
Wireless, a telecom systems provider, 61 percent of larger
U.S. offices have noticeably poor indoor cellular reception.
Similarly, a recent survey conducted for the Washington,
D.C.based National Multifamily Housing Council found that

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12

Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

more than onethird of respondents in large apartment com
plexes felt cellular reception was weak or spotty, particularly
in multitenant buildings where low power services can have a
major impact on wireless renewal rates. The situation is simi
lar in many homes in both suburban and rural areas, where
cellular wireless signals arent strong enough to reach into
interior spaces.
Out of area (or offnet) roaming charges are another source
of user dissatisfaction and subscriber churn. Roaming voice
minutes are typically billed at a significantly higher rate than
onnet traffic. Businesses with multiple remote locations
may find premium offnet rate structures in some areas to
be too cost prohibitive.
Finally, the current 2G/3G circuitswitched voice system uses
relatively little of the available low frequency wireless spec
trum. This is due to the fact that traditional circuitswitched
voice services are based on 1980sera technology.
Poor inbuilding cellular coverage, roaming charges, and poor
utilization/outdated technology are major challenges for busi
nesses that want to adopt mobile devices as their primary
medium for voice communications in office buildings, as well
as remote and home offices.
All of these factors are driving businesses and providers to
look at WiFi as an alternative transport for voice. According
to the WiFi Alliance, 71 percent of all mobile communications
flowed over WiFi in 2014, thus WiFi has become the choice
for data and content services and a viable solution for voice
services.

OTT WiFi Based Voice Services

While many carrier services are built on legacy technologies
dating back to the 1980s, OTT voice over IP (VoIP) services
leverage more recent innovations to deliver a full range of
IP services and access networks. There are multiple options
for OTT voice services from vendors such as Skype, Vonage,
Facebook Messenger, and others, including free, freemium,
and paid services. Key benefits of OTT include free or low
cost services and easy access.

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Chapter2: Understanding Mobile Technology Challenges

13

Freemium service refers to services in which basic services

are provided free of charge, but a premium is charged for
more advanced functionality or features in the application or
service.
However, OTT services also come with some inherent
challenges:
Poor voice quality due to lack of quality of service
(QoS) on cellular networks: OTT may work well on high
speed wired and some WiFi connections to highspeed
access networks, but may not be acceptable on cellular
networks, including 3G and 4G LTE.The lack of QoS in the
cellular network for these services can have a significant
impact on overall sound quality, and the lack of guaran
teed delivery can result in the loss of multiple packets
and a subsequent loss of spoken information.
Limited functionality due to lack of integration: OTT
apps generally operate as software and arent integrated
with other communications applications, such as an
optimized phone book and dialer. These OTT apps must
also always be open and running in order to receive calls,
potentially reducing battery life on laptops and mobile
devices. Certain notifications, such as incoming calls,
may also not be readily available within the app. This
can cause a poor user experience and limited access for
users outside the workgroup.
No seamless transition and service parity: While an OTT
solution can provide reasonable service within the WiFi
footprint, currently cellular wireless and WiFi networks
arent connected, so theres no handoff and no service
parity between the two networks across OTT.When a
user moves from the WiFi network to the cellular wire
less network, the OTT call must be reestablished.
In enterprise unified communications, cloud operators report
that less than five percent of voice minutes are consumed in
mobile applications, reflecting a general lack of acceptance
and expected quality in OTT WiFi based voice services.

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14

Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

LTE and IPbased Voice

In much the same way that the move to IP networks has
enabled a new era in traditional enterprise communications,
emerging LTE innovations are creating a similar paradigm
shift for mobile operators.
LTE is a standardized, allIP mobile network architecture
designed to meet the needs of an ever expanding set of
applications and services, based on the global IP network
infrastructure. The LTE architecture uses logical functions
and interfaces built on ThirdGeneration Partnership Project
(3GPP) standards, based on Internet Engineering Task Force
(IETF) protocols, including the following (among others):
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP): A communications pro
tocol commonly used for signaling and control of voice/
video calls and instant messaging (IM) over IP networks
Diameter: An authentication, authorization, and account
ing (AAA) protocol used in computer networks with sup
port for Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP)
RealTime Transport Protocol (RTP): A network proto
col used for endtoend, realtime transfer of streaming
media, such as audio and video, over IP networks
E.164 Number to Uniform Resource Identifier (URI)
Mapping (ENUM): A system (similar to the Domain Name
System, or DNS, in computer networks) for translating
telephone numbers into URIs or IP addresses for use in
an IP network
The allIP network defined by LTE is easily extensible to
nextgeneration radio and coding technologies, which can dra
matically increase overall system and individual subscriber
bandwidth.
The evolution from 4G to 5G isnt an architectural change;
its a simple evolution of the radio and wireless coding to
deliver an order of magnitude (or greater) bandwidth growth,
while maintaining core services. The capability to abstract
connectiondependent core services from the underlying
transport services that evolve with new technologies is a key
element of the LTE architecture. The result is that 5G will
increase five to ten times in available subscriber bandwidth,
as shown in Table21.
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Chapter2: Understanding Mobile Technology Challenges

Table2-1

15

1G to 5G Features Comparison

Generation
Features

1G

2G

3G

4G

5G

Years

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Data
Bandwidth

2 Kbps

64 Kbps

2 Mbps

200 Mbps

1 Gbps

Standards

Advanced
Mobile
Phone
System
(AMPS)

Time Division
Multiple
Access
(TDMA),
Code Division
Multiple
Access
(CDMA), Global
System for
Mobile communication (GSM),
General Packet
Radio Service
(GPRS)

Wideband LTE Single unified

Code
standards
Division
Multiple
Access
(WCDMA)

Technology

Analog,
Cellular

Digital cellular; Broadband Unified IP services

higher capacity with
with IP Multimedia
packetized
CDMA, IP Subsystem (IMS) control
technology and Home Subscriber
Server (HSS)
Seamless integration
to other IP wireless
environments

Services

Analog
mobile
voice

Digital voice,
short message
system (SMS),
limited email

Voice,
email
Web
browsing

Location
services
Packet

All IP packet

Video

Circuit

Circuit and
packet

Virtual
reality

Internet of
Dynamic
Things (IoT)
information
Continually
access
connected
Wearable
integration Artificial
Intelligence
(AI)

Audio

Switching

High
definition
(HD) video

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Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

The next generation of networks is being driven by the migra
tion of content media and televised content from terrestrial
networks to the mobile infrastructure. However, the result
is that traditional cellular wireless services (such as voice)
can now be effectively managed in the packet infrastructure,
which has led to the development of Voice over LTE (VoLTE).
In VoLTE, the total bandwidth available in the 4G and 5G LTE
infrastructures enables voice services to be guaranteed a
relatively small slice of bandwidth, with guaranteed priority
of service, quality of service (QoS), and no discards. Using a
wideband highdefinition codec, allIP VoLTE to VoLTE calls
can achieve quality levels that are far superior to landline
voice quality in traditional circuitswitched networks.
Some key benefits of VoLTE include
Improved call quality
Faster call setup
Extended battery life
A codec (coder and decoder) is a device or program used to
encode and decode a digital stream or media signal.
With the migration to 5G, VoLTE has the capability to extend
beyond voice to include video, which generally requires at
least an order of magnitude more bandwidth per call/session
than voice.

VoLTE improves voice quality

Volte improves the quality of voice service compared to both
traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) G.711
voice and OTT VoIP services. When compared to traditional
G.711 voice coding, VoLTE uses a higher frequency and higher
dynamic range along with modern encoding techniques in
order to reduce bandwidth. The result is that the conversa
tion is generally more understandable for users. Users report
significantly higher mean opinion scores (MOS) for HD audio
than for the lower frequency/dynamic range of traditional
voice services.

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Chapter2: Understanding Mobile Technology Challenges

17

Mean opinion score (MOS) is a numerical indication of the

perceived quality of received media after compression and/or
transmission, from the users perspective.
When compared to an OTT application, the value of QoS
and network integration is clearly evident. A study by Nokia
Solutions and Networks (NSN) shows that latency (a major
cause of quality issues in VoIP) is significantly lower in VoLTE
compared to OTT services. In the NSN study, a VoLTE client
exhibited up to 94 percent lower mouthtoear delay than OTT
VoIP service, while consuming 40 percent less smartphone
battery power.

VoLTE is an enablement platform

for VoWiFi
The IMS network and other VoLTE implementation elements
such as handoffs, equipment, and capabilities, can be directly
extended to VoWiFi, as well as messaging and video over
WiFi. VoLTE securely interconnects networks and enables
VoWiFi, as well as other trends (see Figure21), including
WiFi Calling: Apple support is a catalyst for Evolved
Packet Data Gateway (ePDG).
Hotspot 2.0: Seamless WiFi authentication requires
access network discovery and selection function
(ANDSF) policy control (ePDG complement).
VoLTE/Rich Communication Services (RCS): Interoper
ability requires wireless interconnect session border
controllers (ISBCs).
4G LTE Data: Roaming requires Diameter Routing Agent
(DRA) interconnectivity.
IMS: VoLTE subscriber/traffic growth requires efficient
signaling network design.

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Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

Figure 2-1:The VoLTE architecture creates secure interconnected

networks, enabling VoWiFi and other trends.

Because almost all mobile operators today are deploying or

piloting VoLTE implementations on their LTE networks, inte
grating VoWiFi is a straightforward proposition that increases
value. Note: The VoWiFi solution doesnt require VoLTE.
Although VoLTE can dramatically improve the spectral effi
ciency of the cellular network, it doesnt address cellular wire
less inbuilding coverage and roaming issues.

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Chapter3

Addressing VoWiFi
Challenges
In This Chapter
Understanding authentication methods
Providing mobility and data synchronization between networks
Ensuring quality of service (QoS) and location services
Recognizing WiFi signal quality and 3G/2G handoff issues

xtending the cellular wireless experience seamlessly into

a WiFi environment requires carriers and enterprises to
address several technical challenges. These include authentication, call migration, coordination of subscriber data, and
quality of service (QoS)/quality of experience (QoE) across
the WiFi environment.
For users, a seamless experience means no dropped calls
or changes in call quality as the call moves from the cellular
wireless network to the WiFi network. In this chapter, you
explore these challenges and the various industry solutions
available to help deliver a seamless Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi)
user experience.

Supporting Authentication
Methods
VoWiFi is designed to support different subscriber authentication methods to access IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)
services and VoWiFi applications. The authentication method
grants user access to the IMS network and depends on the
capabilities of the client and device capabilities.
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Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

There are two basic authentication models available:
IMS Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Digest
Authentication based on user ID and password
Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA) based
authentication for devices equipped with a Subscriber
Identity Module (SIM) card
A properly implemented VoWiFi solution provides voice (and
Short Message Service, or SMS text messaging) services over
a WiFi network to endusers in a seamless manner thats
indistinguishable from the enduser experience in the cellular
wireless domain. This gives the user access to the VoWiFi service without requiring specific or extra authentication steps
to be performed by the user.
However, given that WiFi security is generally considered
to be inherently weak, additional security and encryption
requirements may need to be implemented. For example, an
IPSec virtual private network (VPN) tunnel may need to be
established between the mobile device and the access network prior to accessing IMS services.

Mobility Across WiFi and LTE

While both LTE and WiFi are essentially IP services, the ability to hand off a call session between them is dependent on
two core services:
Fast tunnel creation: IPSec tunnel creation between the
device and access network
Fast authentication: Happens between the device and
IMS network
The handoff from LTE to WiFi, or back again, can be quite
simple. In an environment where the LTE signal is available
atreasonable levels, the transition to and from WiFi is relatively easy.
However, in many cases, the handoff is much more complex.
For example, if the voice call was initiated in a building where
theres poor or no LTE service, the handoff becomes very
challenging. As a user on a mobile device walks out of the

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Chapter3: Addressing VoWiFi Challenges

21

WiFi coverage area and into the LTE coverage area, theres a
very short period of time available to hand off the call before
its dropped. The same challenge exists when walking back
into the building, out of the LTE coverage area, and into the
WiFi coverage area.
Few people would consider authentication to be a fast
process think of how long it takes to log into your computer or email account. But for a seamless VoWiFi experience,
mobile devices must authenticate to the Wi-Fi network near
instantaneously. IP mobility is based on building local VPN
tunnels, carrying the voice session in those VPN tunnels,
and handing the voice session off to new VPN tunnels. Thus,
a VPN tunnel must be built on the LTE network before the
call can be migrated from the Wi-Fi network (or vice versa).
Accomplishing these tasks in the few seconds that may be
available as the user moves from one coverage area to the
next before the call is dropped is a significant challenge.

User Data Synchronization

All the subscriber services offered in the circuit-switched
2G/3G domain should also be offered in the VoWiFi domain.
Maintaining service parity between these two domains
requires subscriber data to be synchronized between them.
Depending on the subscriber database deployment scenario,
different solutions can achieve this requirement:
Universal Subscriber Database (USDB): In this case, a
single central database for subscriber data is used. Each
domain will update and read the user data on that same
database. USDB will be available in the near future.
Split independent subscriber databases in circuit
switched and WiFi domains: In this scenario, an efficient subscriber data update and synchronization is
required across both domains.
The challenge in implementing crossdomain synchronization is to do it without negatively impacting the normal
operation of the legacy network and keeping the device
active in the legacy domain.

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Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

In deployments where the subscriber data is sorted into separate databases where the Home Location Register (HLR) and
Home Subscriber Server (HSS) are based on separate platforms, and no subscriber data management solution exists to
provide unified data convergence, a solution is required to
synchronize the user data changes in both databases.
There are different stages/dimensions that are associated
with user data synchronization:
VoWiFi client setup and initialization: During initial
VoWiFi service subscription and VoWiFi client setup on
the mobile device, user data synchronization must take
place. This data synchronization must include transferring all the current user data for the subscriber from the
circuitswitched domain profile and updating the VoWiFi
subscriber database with that associated user data. This
is crucial for services so theyre properly inherited from
the circuitswitched domain, for example voicemail, call
forwarding settings, and others.
User-initiated user data changes and updates: Users
must be able to update their settings on either the Wi-Fi
or cellular network. The network is responsible for synchronizing all user data updates and changes applied by
the end-user across both the Wi-Fi and cellular networks.
This synchronization must be transparent to the enduser and the end-user device.
Operator backendinitiated user data changes: During
operator backend user data updates and life cycle
changes, its optimum to have the change applied only in
one domain. However, depending on the operator backend architecture and deployment requirement, this may
not be true in all cases. Regardless, the same synchronization of user data changes must occur transparently to
the enduser device.

Looking at Quality of Service

Challenges
Quality of Service (QoS) challenges in VoWiFi deployments
include the following:

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Chapter3: Addressing VoWiFi Challenges

23

LTE offers separate QoS Class Identifiers (QCIs) with low

delay and jitter for voice and video traffic.
WiFi and the associated Internet access and IP transmission paths typically only offer Best Effort (BE) delivery.
Voice quality and hence user experience may vary
as a user moves between the WiFi and LTE domains. This
challenge can be mitigated by turning on prioritization
inlocal routers and switches because QoS characteristics for WiFi services are bound to the carrier.
Independently operated WiFi hotspots may offer very
poor quality connections.
While quality may be an issue in some VoWiFi deployments,
the resulting voice services will minimally have quality comparable to OTT services in higher bandwidth areas. Because
WiFi hotspots and home access typically have five to ten
times more individual bandwidth available than cellular networks, quality is much easier to manage than in OTT services
on the wireless network. Service providers that offer both
wireless and terrestrial services can optimize QoS for WiFi,
which further enhances quality.
The VoWiFi client can also monitor VoWiFi call quality in
realtime and fallback to the 3G domain or apply advanced
QoSspecific voice call manipulation, such as jitter control,
to improve voice quality, if necessary. Finally, if the VoWiFi
client is a native client integrated in the mobile device
(instead of an app downloaded from an OTT provider), the
client will have better hardware accelerator features that
enable better performance.

Using Location Services

Location services are essential for emergency services, roaming status, and subscriber billing. The primary VoWiFi challenge in providing location services is that there are many
custom solutions available, but none of them are optimal.
These include
Wireless LAN identifier (WLANID) in PAccessNetwork
Info (PANI) header
Database lookup of user IP address

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Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

Global positioning system (GPS) location provided by
user equipment (UE)
Last known Cell Global Identity/Evolved Cell Global
Identifier (CGI)
However, with the advent of location services in many IP
infrastructures and GPS, this challenge is being resolved. For
example, when a user dials 911, the client can automatically
switch GPS on and include the GPS coordinates in the emergency call.

WiFi Signal Quality

Ensuring quality voice signals in the WiFi domain is critical to
the overall VoWiFi service. Depending on codec(s), minimum
bandwidth/latency/loss requirements must be met over the
access radio channel. For example, for a wideband codec,
transmission rates are typically less than 100 Kbps.
On a wireless home connection with uplink speeds of 5 Mbps
(for Digital Subscriber Line, or DSL) or 1020 Mbps (for cable),
this transmission rate represents a very small percentage
of the available bandwidth. On downlink connections, voice
services may have to compete with streaming video, but tests
have consistently demonstrated that theres usually sufficient
bandwidth available in most environments for voice (look at
how many people use Skype on their PCs in coffee shops).
According to Edholms Law of Bandwidth, wireless (such
as cellular), nomadic (such as WiFi), and wired (such as
Ethernet) data rates are converging over time.

Handoff 3G/2G
In a traditional network architecture, the legacy circuit
switched core and the new LTE radio/Evolved Packet Core
(EPC) essentially operate as two separate networks. Thus,
operators must manage two separate infrastructures to provide the same end-user functionality in both networks.

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Chapter3: Addressing VoWiFi Challenges

25

The ideal VoLTE and VoWiFi solution enables the 2G/3G

circuitswitched network to fully integrate with the IMS
network. This integration provides seamless call transitions
from IPbased LTE and WiFi environments to c
ircuitswitched
2G/3G domains.
The same authentication and tunneling challenges that exist
in the LTE to WiFi mobility handoff must also be addressed
in 2G/3G to IP handoffs.

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26

Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

These materials are 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.

Chapter4

Enabling VoWiFi with the

Mitel WiFi Calling Solution
In This Chapter
Identifying required elements for VoWiFi enablement
Learning about the Mitel WiFi Calling solution
Implementing VoWiFi with Mitels WiFi Calling solution
Exploring deployment options

n this chapter, you discover what elements are necessary

to enable a Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi) solution, as well
as the Mitel WiFi Calling solution and various deployment
options.

Enabling a VoWiFi Solution

The basic components of a VoWiFi mobile network consist of
three major elements at the core:
Home subscriber server (HSS) subscriber database
IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) core and access that
manages communications across the system
Telephony Application and Messaging platform for
voice and short message services over WiFi.
These components, shown in Figure41, are configured
together to manage the subscriber and communications services of the VoWiFi system.

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Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

Figure4-1:The basic components of a 4th Generation Wireless

infrastructure for voice and messaging.

The Mitel WiFi Calling Solution

The Mitel WiFi Calling solution can be implemented as a complete endtoend IMSbased software solution that includes
IMS core and application servers, all of which are based on a
common software platform.
The key benefits of the Mitel WiFi Calling Solution include the
following:
Common, carriergrade platform designed for reliability
and scalability
Hardware agnostic software platform thats optionally
virtualized and deployed on cloudbased infrastructure
Modular architecture with key integrated components,
such as integrated load balancer and configuration
management
Integration solution and hooks with various CS 2G/3G
Legacy networks technologies that offers unmatched
feature parity across all customer subscribers.
Flexible deployment models to optionally scale up to
expand capacity, or scale complex solutions down to a
minimal footprint for entrylevel deployments
Mitels core network infrastructure thats used to deliver
VoWiFi is the same infrastructure used to deliver VoLTE and
advanced rich messaging.

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 Chapter4: Enabling VoWiFi with the Mitel WiFi Calling Solution

29

The Mitel WiFi Calling solution enables service providers to

provide enhanced mobile services, including
Extending the reach of the cellular network
Reducing dead spots in many inbuilding environments
Providing the ability to make international calls without
paying hefty roaming and long distance charges
Additional solutions in the Mitel WiFi Calling solution include
the following:
Circuit Switched Fallback (CSFB) and CS Breakout:
Mitels IMS Core and Border Gateway Function provide
the means of supporting new technologies while removing the risk, cost, and timetomarket disadvantages associated with legacy core network integration.
Voice and video calling: Mitel offers a complete portfolio
of innovative virtualized network video and voice solutions for IPbased communication services.
IP messaging and Rich Communications Services (RCS):
Mobile operators deploying an allIP services core have
an opportunity to transform their messaging network by
capping legacy investment and introducing intelligent
delivery capability for messaging and multimedia while
managing user generated content across multiple access
domains and devices.

Mitel Telephony Application

Server (TAS)
Mitels Telephony Application Server (TAS) integrates all
potential transport mechanisms including 4G, VoLTE, and
VoWiFi into a common interoperable solution, and manages
all of the services to ensure a consistent and superior user
experience. Regardless of the transport, the Mitel TAS delivers all call features identically, whether the subscriber is on
WiFi or on an LTE wireless network. Operators can decide to
initially deploy either VoLTE or VoWiFi and still maintain feature parity with their legacy networks.

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Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

VoLTE deployments can have dependencies on the device
and LTE infrastructure ecosystems. Deploying Mitels WiFi
Calling solution ahead of VoLTE gives operators the opportunity to bring new IP services to market and monetize their IMS
investment sooner.
Mitels TAS is access agnostic and supports the full range of
features needed to deliver rich multimedia services, such as
highdefinition (HD) voice and video calling to subscribers on
LTE, WiFi, fixed, or business local and wide area networks,
as well as the integrated mobility features to enable service
continuity as users move from one access network domain to
another.
Mitels TAS reduces total cost of ownership (TCO) and
improves time to market by seamlessly integrating into
the operators existing infrastructure, including subscriber
databases, intelligent networking systems, billing systems,
and others, using standard legacy interfaces. This approach
ensures that mobile subscribers have a consistent user experience by using nextgeneration voice services over LTE or
WiFi, because the TAS provides service parity with the legacy
circuitswitched mobile network.
Mitels TAS is a fully virtualized, highly scalable, carriergrade
solution that can be deployed as part of the customer network,
or on cloudbased infrastructure.

Deploying the Mitel WiFi

Calling Solution
The Mitel WiFi Calling solution is configurable to meet the
needs of any carrier, regardless of where a carrier is on its
LTE migration journey. Mitel supports a full range of strategic
deployment options from augmenting an existing LTE infrastructure with key components to a complete greenfield IMS
deployment.
VoWiFi and VoLTE can coexist using the same Mitel IMS infrastructure and Mitel TAS, using different access technologies
such as WiFi radio access and LTE radio access (see Figure42).

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 Chapter4: Enabling VoWiFi with the Mitel WiFi Calling Solution

31

Figure4-2:Augmenting an existing LTE infrastructure with Mitel IMS

solution components to enable VoWiFi and VoLTE.

Augmenting an existing LTE infrastructure with the Mitel

Unified Access Gateway (UAG) and TAS enables operators to
offer their subscribers VoWiFi and VoLTE services without
replacing their existing infrastructure investments.
Alternatively, the Mitel WiFi Calling solution can be deployed
as a complete VoWiFi solution without the need for an existing LTE infrastructure, as shown in Figure43.

Figure4-3:The complete Mitel WiFi Calling solution.

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Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

The Mitel WiFi Calling solution is designed for the next generation of mobile networks, leveraging the power of LTE and
the capabilities of WiFi, while enabling new services like RCS.
The Mitel WiFi Calling solution enables 4G operators to
deliver competitively differentiated services and drive
customer loyalty and additional revenue.

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Chapter5

Examining VoWiFi
UseCases
In This Chapter
Eliminating cellular dead zones in homes and buildings
Supporting roaming users without roaming charges

n this chapter, I describe two common use cases for Voice

over WiFi (VoWiFi) in building coverage and roaming.

InBuilding Coverage
One of the many reasons for deploying VoWiFi today is to
address indoor cellular service challenges. Other reasons
include offloading traffic from legacy circuitswitched networks, and preparing the carrier network for the deployment
of Voice over LTE (VoLTE).
Poor cellular coverage in homes and buildings is one of the top
reasons for subscriber churn and is becoming an even bigger
problem as consumers and businesses are increasingly replacing their traditional phones with mobile devices. Buthaving
a mobile phone that only works in certain rooms isa lot like
only having two phones in your home a pea-green-colored
phone mounted on the kitchen wall and a beige phone on
a nightstand in the bedroom, each tied to a 3foot coiled
cord! This challenge is exacerbated by coverage challenges in
offices and stores in many communities, especially as ugly
cell towers have become increasingly controversial.

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Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

Mobile operators, geographically dispersed endusers on
mobile devices, and large enterprises can leverage VoWiFi to
overcome inbuilding cellular coverage challenges.
The benefits of VoWiFi inbuilding coverage are different
depending on what user group youre in:
For endusers: Make/receive phone calls and use data
services with your mobile phone at home and in buildings with limited or no cell coverage by using existing
WiFi and broadband connections.
For mobile operators: Improve customer satisfaction,
reduce churn, and provide five bars signal strength by
using WiFi with no additional equipment while also freeing up spectrum.
While the mobile industry, in general, has awaited the deployment of LongTerm Evolution/Evolved Packet Core (LTE/EPC)
networks and the availability of Voice over LTE (VoLTE) handsets, several operators have deployed voice and messaging
services over other technologies, specifically VoWiFi.

Roam If You Want to,

RoamAround the World
VoWiFi is a game changer in many market segments. Cable
providers and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs)
recognize the opportunity to leverage the ubiquity of WiFi
access in order to provide costeffective wireless service.
The benefits of VoWiFi roaming are different depending on
what user group youre in:
For endusers: Make/receive phone calls and send/
receive text messages with your mobile phone anywhere in the world, just like at home with no roaming
charges.
For mobile operators: Improve customer satisfaction,
provide better service than overthetop (OTT), and
retain voice revenue.

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Chapter5: Examining VoWiFi UseCases

35

MVNOs can leverage VoWiFi services, which can be accessed

over the public Internet from anywhere in the world, thereby
effectively eliminating excessive international roaming fees for
their subscribers that use voice and messaging services with
others in the same country. Since the user is connected to
carrier network in their home country, all voice and messaging usage is considered local and is charged according to the
subscribers standard rate plan.
Consumers have become accustomed to using OTT service
providers, such as Skype, Apple, Viber, and others, to avoid
international roaming fees. However, by making VoWiFi
services available from anywhere in the world, carriers can
essentially become a global provider of mobile communication services, offering an attractive alternative to OTT
services.

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Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

These materials are 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.

Chapter6

Ten Key VoWiFi Questions

In This Chapter
Answering the what, why, and where of VoWiFi
Comparing voice quality on cellular and WiFi networks
Recognizing the need for VoWiFi
Addressing control, handoff, infrastructure, and regulatory concerns
Exploring charging options for VoWiFi

n this chapter, I answer some frequently asked questions

about Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi) technologies.

What is VoWiFi?
Overthetop (OTT) voice and messaging services, such as
Skype, Viber, and WhatsApp, are all capable of working over
any IPbased network, including WiFi. However, VoWiFi is
actually very specific. As defined by the Third Generation
Partnership Project (3GPP) and Global System for Mobile
Communications Association (GSMA), specifically in GSMA
IR.51 and IR.92, VoWiFi enables mobile service providers to
deliver the same mobile voice and messaging services they
currently offer over their cellular networks, over any WiFi
network, globally.
With VoWiFi, cellular subscribers can transparently transition
between a mobile operators cellular network and any home,
office or public WiFi network. Several key features of VoWiFi
include
Same mobile number: As a subscriber moves between
the cellular network and any WiFi network, he continues

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Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

to use his regular mobile telephone number. He doesnt
have a separate identity when on WiFi versus the cellular network. When connected to WiFi, the subscriber
will receive all calls and messages to his regular mobile
number over the WiFi network. And all calls and messages he sends will also be delivered over the WiFi
network using his regular mobile number.
Same mobile services: As a subscriber moves between
the cellular network and any WiFi network, he continues to receive the same set of mobile services. This not
only includes standard mobile calling and short message
service/multimedia messaging service (SMS/MMS) messaging but also the myriad of supplementary services
(for example, call waiting, multiparty calling, caller ID,
and others), Intelligent Network (IN)-based services (for
example, prepaid, VPN, toll free, and others), as well as
emergency calling.
Same user experience: Subscribers have the same user
experience whether theyre connected to the cellular network or WiFi. Subscribers continue to make and receive
calls using the regular native dialer on their phones.
Subscribers send and receive messages using the same
app whether theyre connected to WiFi or the cellular
network. No change in enduser behavior is required.
Seamless transitions: A key distinction of VoWiFi from
other technologies, such as OTT, is the seamless transition from VoWiFi to a 2G/3G circuitswitched service
or to Voice over LTE (VoLTE). This enables a call to be
started on a WiFi network and moved to VoLTE coverage
(or transitioned to the legacy circuitswitched network
if VoLTE isnt available). Any call can transition from one
transport to another, maintaining the call and a seamless,
transparent user experience.
VoWiFi services and seamless transitions are increasingly
supported as a native feature in a number of smartphones,
including popular Apple and Samsung devices.

Why Deploy VoWiFi?

While the reasons to deploy VoWiFi vary by region, country,
and operator, the primary reason is to address indoor service
coverage challenges. Since the dawn of the mobile industry,
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Chapter6: Ten Key VoWiFi Questions

39

providing subscribers with reliable, quality coverage for voice

services while indoors has been a challenge for mobile operators. This is especially true in the locations subscribers spend
most of their time and seek to use most of their mobile services at home and in the office.
Whether youre a tier1 mobile network operator (MNO) or a
new mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), one of the top
reasons for subscriber churn is poor indoor coverage, especially at home. Poor indoor coverage is one of the top reasons
for new subscriber 15/30 day returns (for example, service
cancellations), which are typically not reported in an operators monthly subscriber churn numbers.
A very powerful and compelling business case for offering
VoWiFi service is that it can provide a significant reduction in
subscriber churn, as well as returns and service cancellations.
A secondary reason for VoWiFi deployment typically includes
one or more of the following:
Cellular network offload
Subscriber acquisition
Response to OTT services
Fixedtomobile substitution
Reducing coverage complaints
For example, an MVNO will look at VoWiFi as a means to
reduce the amount of voice traffic delivered over its partners
cellular network, thereby lowering operational costs. Or, an
MNO who is the first to deploy to a VoWiFi in a market will
be able to provide a differentiated service offering that can
increase overall subscriber acquisition.

Which WiFi Networks Matter?

The simple answer is that all WiFi networks matter. Generally,
enabling private home WiFi networks has the largest impact,
followed by private office WiFi networks and public WiFi
networks.

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Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

One reason VoWiFi is such an elegant solution is that its able
to leverage the fact that the vast majority of existing WiFi
network deployments are in the exact same locations that
operators have difficulty reaching with highquality service
coverage using their network.
In addition, the vast majority of smartphone subscribers have
already configured their smartphones to connect to WiFi
networks at their home and in the office. Those operators
who simply choose to begin making their voice and messaging services available over WiFi can quickly make significant
progress toward addressing their indoor service challenge.
The growing base of carrier WiFi somewhat overlays these
three categories of networks and makes connectivity for users
even easier.

Is QoS Required for VoWiFi?

No. VoWiFi quality will typically be as good as, if not better
than, voice quality on cellular networks even without quality of service (QoS) on the WiFi network. VoWiFi quality of
experience (QoE), measured as mean opinion score (MOS),
will generally be as good as, or better than voice over cellular
quality.
I discuss in the section Which WiFi Networks Matter? that
the vast majority of VoWiFi usage is on private WiFi networks
at home and in the office. As WiFi network performance (for
example, coverage, congestion, throughput, and others) in
these locations is usually very good, voice services operating
over them provide a quality of experience (QoE) thats typically better than that received on the cellular network.
Some VoWiFi usage will be on public WiFi networks, especially when subscribers travel internationally and seek to
bypass international roaming fees. When using such public
WiFi networks, network performance will be more variable
and can have an effect on VoWiFi quality. However, as VoWiFi
usage on such networks is such a small percentage, overall
VoWiFi quality will generally be better than that received on
the cellular network.

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Chapter6: Ten Key VoWiFi Questions

41

Why Deploy VoWiFi if Voice

Services Are Declining?
In some countries, while traditional mobile telephony
minutesofuse may be declining, overall voice/audio usage
onmobile phones driven by the availability of many
alternative mobile voice services such as OTT is actually
growing.
Even in those situations where mobile telephony minutes
may be in decline, no one is predicting that voice service will
disappear any time soon. OTT voice service may be a better
fit than mobile telephony for a specific realtime voice requirement in certain use cases, but the ability to call and speak to
practically anyone in the world will continue to make mobile
telephony an indispensable service for the foreseeable future.
Therefore, VoWiFi enables operators to develop new pricing models to encourage more use of their services instead
ofOTT.
The coverage and performance of mobile telephony service,
especially in the places subscribers spent most of their
time at home and in the office is a key decision criterion
for subscribers when they compare mobile service providers.

Do Operators Lose Control of

Their Subscribers on WiFi?
No. The operator retains complete control of subscribers and
the voice and messaging services they deliver to them. When
VoWiFienabled subscribers connect to WiFi, their handsets
automatically attempt to connect to the operators core network over the Internet and register to receive voice and messaging services over that WiFi connection.
Once authenticated and authorized, all inbound and outbound
voice and messaging traffic will be routed over the WiFi/
Internet connection rather than over the cellular network. The
operators continue to handle all routing, billing, and other
services for all mobile originated and terminated voice and
messaging traffic over WiFi. In effect, VoWiFi simply enables
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Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

the Internet and existing WiFi networks to function as an
alternative radio access network.
This control gives operators a rich set of enhanced services,
call logging, recording, and more, regardless of where the
call is delivered. This integration of all interactions can be a
significant valueadd, encouraging VoWiFi use versus separate
OTT services.

Can Calls Handoff from WiFi

to Cellular?
Yes. VoWiFi standards and products allow for the handoff
of active voice calls between WiFi and cellular networks. In
fact, standards support two different approaches for handoff:
one for handing off between WiFi and VoLTE, and another for
handing off between WiFi and 2G/3G voice services.
Not all vendor solutions support both handoff
methods.

Do Operators Need a Full VoLTE

Deployment for VoWiFi?
No. While the same IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) core network used to support VoWiFi can also support Voice over
LongTerm Evolution (VoLTE) services, operators arent
required to deploy VoLTE prior to offering VoWiFi services. In
fact, a growing number of mobile operators are now deploying
VoWiFi in advance of VoLTE, as VoWiFi addresses a pressing
indoor coverage problem.

Will VoWiFi Change Regulatory

Requirements?
No. VoWiFi standards and products were developed to ensure
operators can meet all existing regulatory obligations, including emergency call handling. As I mention in the section
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Chapter6: Ten Key VoWiFi Questions

43

Do Operators Lose Control of Their Subscribers on WiFi?,

because all inbound and outbound subscriber traffic is routed
through the operators core network, the necessary systems
are in place to ensure ongoing regulatory compliance.

How Should Operators Charge

for VoWiFi Services?
While VoWiFi technology enables operators to charge different rates for voice and messaging service usage by country,
access point type, or even by specific access points, using
their existing billing systems, they must be careful not to confuse their subscribers.
For an MNO whose primary objective with a VoWiFi service is
to address indoor coverage challenges, the simplest approach
is to not charge different rates for voice and messaging services consumed over WiFi versus the cellular network. In this
situation, subscribers simply choose to use VoWiFi in certain
locations to receive a better service experience.
However, an MVNO trying to offload the cellular network with
VoWiFi may choose to charge a lower rate for calling over
WiFi, in order to encourage subscribers to connect more
frequently to WiFi networks. A simple mechanism, like charging a portion of a minute for each VoWiFi minute, has two
impacts: It encourages users to use the carrier services rather
than an OTT, and it naturally moves traffic from the wireless
infrastructure to the WiFi/Internet backhaul, thereby reducing OpEx costs and future CapEx investments.

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44

Voice over Wi-Fi For Dummies, Mitel Special Edition 

These materials are 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.

These materials are 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.

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