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Inside Samsung and GSMA’s Plan to Transform Voice Calling Across Networks
The partnership plans to ensure that all critical and core telephony services remain reliable and consistent as the world moves towards new technologies rapidly.

By Kumar Harshit

on May 1, 2025

The Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), representing the interests of mobile operators worldwide, and Samsung Electronics forge a new partnership to improve voice call quality and connectivity over 4G and 5G networks by enabling VoLTE (Voice over LTE) by default on devices running Android 15 or later. The collab aims to push a seamless global VoLTE rollout across the networks. 

The partnership looks forward to ensuring that all critical and core telephony services, like emergency calling and roaming, remain functional as global mobile operators phase out 2G and 3G networks for higher-quality 4G and 5G services. Samsung will be working in close alignment with the GSMA’s Network Settings Exchange (NSX) and Interoperability Testing services. 

Ensuring Consistent & Reliable Services 

Through this, Samsung aims to enable consistent and reliable voice services across a wide range of operators and regions by default. All Samsung devices using Android 15 or above, including the recently launched Galaxy S25 series, are being equipped to access high-quality VoLTE where supported, using operator-defined IMS settings via NSX or defaulting to GSMA Profile #4 when necessary. 

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Moving Towards Pre-Configured Devices 

The partnership aims to enable mobile network operators (MNOs) and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) to upload, manage, and distribute their latest network settings. Through GSMA NSX, operators can share IMS-specific settings with device manufacturers to ensure seamless service functionality and interoperability. Device manufacturers can also pre-configure devices as per the shared network settings of each operator on the hub. 

Equipping the Latest Technology 

Samsung and the GSMA are partnering to support operators in assessing VoLTE readiness through standardized testing, emphasizing the value of industry-wide collaboration. As part of this effort, the GSMA is offering interoperability testing services to assist operators with VoLTE pre-launch validation in close cooperation with Samsung.

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Apart from the efforts of the partnership, Samsung has also aligned its testing regimen with GSMA-standard VoLTE testing procedures, looking at the scale of testing and experiments needed to streamline the adoption and usage of the new technology.