[Nokia and Vodafone Omnitel have carried out the world's first VoIP call completed in a 3GPP release 4 compliant network that transports circuit-switched voice and data calls through an IP backbone. ]

Call marks an important milestone in new network architecture combining circuit-switched GSM and 3G core networks and a major step toward cost-efficient All-IP.

Nokia and Vodafone Omnitel have carried out the world's first VoIP call completed in a 3GPP release 4 compliant network that transports circuit-switched voice and data calls through an IP backbone. The call was performed using the commercial Nokia MSC Server and Nokia Media Gateway products in laboratories in Helsinki during a two-day visit by a technical management delegation from Vodafone Omnitel to study the Nokia MSC Server implementation.

The Nokia MSC Server will enable more effective mobile switching and traffic transmission in mobile networks to serve more efficiently the needs of increasing traffic. It is a key element in the new core-network architecture that flexibly combines GSM and WCDMA networks -- a crucial step in the development of All-IP networks. It is estimated to reduce the operational and capital expenditures of an operator by an order of 30 % compared to existing switching and transmission solutions.

"We find the MSC Server concept very interesting to Wireless Operators, as it provides an effective answer to growing demands," says Mr. Stefano Cantarelli, Director, Strategic Technology and Network Planning, Vodafone Omnitel. "We also feel that the MSC Server's network architecture is a better match for future wireless networks."

"This demonstration indicates the maturity of Nokia's MSC Server implementation and proves that plans to start mass deliveries of the Nokia MSC Server within one year are on solid basis," says Matti Keskinen, General Manager, Nokia Networks.

The unmatched benefit of the new core architecture is the separation of the control and routing functions into separate network elements. The MSC Server, which is sometime referred to as a mobile network "soft switch", performs the call-control and signaling function (called the "control plane"). MSC Server architecture implements new packet-switching and VoIP technology for mobile switching and transmission, and is based on the 3GPP release 4 standards. The routing function (called the "user plane") is handled by a separate network element, the Multimedia Gateway. This separation makes the Nokia solution extremely flexible and scalable.

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