Reliance Jio has officially activated the next-gen Voice over New Radio (VoNR) voice calling protocol across India. Powered entirely by its indigenous 5G Standalone (SA) core, the rollout is timed with Jio's ninth anniversary, marking an important milestone for the telecom operator.
What is VoNR and why it matters
VoNR basically enables voice calls directly over 5G networks, which eliminates the need for 4G fallback mechanisms like VoLTE. For end users, in simpler terms, it brings the following benefits:
- Faster call setup times
- Sharper audio quality
- Fewer call drops
- Improved battery efficiency during calls
Unlike hybrid 5G protocols that rely solely on 4G for voice, Jio's VoNR runs natively on its in-house 5G SA Core and IMS-enhanced VoNR stack. This is quite the step forward, given that most 5G deployments still use Non-Standalone Architecture (NSA). So, how does VoNR, which is based on SA architecture, benefit us? The table below should help get a better idea:
Feature | Current 5G (NSA) | Jio VoNR (SA) |
|---|---|---|
Core Dependency | Relies on 4G LTE core | Runs on native 5G standalone core |
Voice Protocol | Falls back to VoLTE (4G) for calls | Uses VoNR directly for 5G voice calls |
Latency and Efficiency | Higher latency | Lower latency and more optimised for 5G |
Deployment | Easier to deploy but not that future-proof | More complex to deploy but easily scalable and sovereign |
Additionally, the move also lays a solid foundation for exporting Jio's 5G solutions globally, including its OSS/BSS platforms and small cell infrastructure. This makes the Jio VoNR rollout not just a technical upgrade but a big leap in terms of self-reliance for telecom operators in the country.
Jio has successfully enabled Voice over New Radio (VoNR) across India, leveraging its fully indigenous 5G Standalone (SA) Core and Jio’s own IMS-enhanced VoNR Core. This pan-India rollout establishes Jio’s end-to-end VoNR capability on its homegrown technology stack, enabling ultra-low latency, high-definition voice services natively on 5G.
— Aayush Bhatnagar, Senior Vice President, Jio
With over 500 million subscribers, Jio's VoNR rollout sets a new standard for voice quality and network efficiency in the country. From relying on external vendors to adopting Made in India innovation, this takes telecom strategy to a new level.
Not to mention that this comes after Jio's annual AGM 2025 conference, where it announced Reliance Intelligence and JioFrames, alongside supercharging JioHotstar with AI.
