To ensure the required levels of performance and QoE for VoLTE services, CSPs need a comprehensive solution for actively monitoring the service on a constant basis and alerting operators to any issues in real time. Emblasoft Evolver is the answer.

No matter what advanced services CSPs are offering, voice remains a key offer – put simply, subscribers expect to be able to make a voice call regardless of device, advanced services, apps, and so on, are being offered. VoLTE was introduced to replace legacy, circuit-switched voice services and offers high-quality, high-clarity voice calls, greater scalability and capacity.

VoLTE services remain a mainstay of CSP revenues

This demand for high-quality voice services is borne out by VoLTE subscriber numbers. For example, the most recent Ericsson Mobility Report predicts that the number of VoLTE subscribers will grow from 6.3 billion at the end of 2024 to 7.6 billion by 2028^[1]. Clearly, VoLTE will remain a significant component of operator revenues for some years to come.

The challenge, of course, is ensuring the promised and / or expected QoE of the service – with subscribers expecting crystal clear audio, extended coverage, and an always-on service.

It means that not only must the service be comprehensively tested and validated pre-launch, but it also needs to be actively monitored in real time. Real data needs to be collected, monitored, and translated into voice call QoE information on a constant basis to ensure that performance of the service does not fall below expected levels.

To assure service levels and meet SLAs, operators also need to know when there is any degradation in service levels, and what has caused it – again, in real time. They need to be alerted to any problem immediately so that it can be remediated before it causes any drop in performance or QoE levels. Of course, a degraded or poor-quality VoLTE service defeats the original purpose of its existence.

How can operators and CSPs constantly assure VoLTE service performance and quality? Emblasoft Evolver provides pre-launch test and validations, as well as on-going active monitoring to assure that your VoLTE service meets the required KPIs and SLAs.

Evolver uses software agents in the live network that mimic the behaviour of real UEs. These agents can be remotely controlled to initiate and terminate VoLTE calls. They participate in real services enabling the collection of real-time data. Agents can be controlled to test different service features enabling real-time monitoring of service performance.

Assuring the performance and QoE of VoLTE on an on-going basis

Calls can be generated across multiple interfaces, and with different protocols and codecs, to emulate realistic traffic to ensure that there are no issues with service performance and quality.

It can be used to measure multiple metrics – including network availability, latency, jitter, dropped packets, service functionality, and so on. Evolver logs both successful and failed calls to provide a full picture of service status and performance.

It also integrates with third-party analytics solutions (such as Prometheus) and visualisation tools (such as Grafana). In addition, alarms can be generated and distributed through third-party tools allowing early indicators of network and service issues to be obtained, as well as service desk reports to be created.

Emblasoft Evolver can also be used to assure other calls and services, such as VoWiFi, and has the ability to support mixed sessions. In addition, data sessions (video streaming and web browsing), SMS and other IMS services, such as call forwarding can also be supported. To find out more about the comprehensive service validation and assurance capabilities of Evolver contact us today.

^[1] https://www.ericsson.com/en/reports-and-papers/mobility-report/dataforecasts/voice-services-outlook