VoNR with Robust Header Compression (ROHC)

VoNR (Voice over New Radio):

  1. Introduction:
    VoNR stands for Voice over New Radio. New Radio (NR) is a radio access technology (RAT) introduced as part of the 5th generation (5G) mobile network standard by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).
  2. Significance:
    • VoNR aims to provide voice services over the 5G NR network without relying on the older 4G LTE network or any circuit-switched fallback methods.
    • It offers benefits like improved voice quality, reduced latency, and better spectrum efficiency compared to previous voice technologies.
  3. Key Components:
    • User Equipment (UE): The device (e.g., smartphone) that initiates or receives the voice call.
    • 5G Core Network: The central part of the 5G network responsible for various functions, including session management and media handling.
    • 5G New Radio (NR): The radio access network component of 5G responsible for radio transmission and reception.
  4. Architecture:
    • VoNR utilizes the 5G Core Network for session establishment and management.
    • Once a voice call is initiated, the necessary resources are allocated in the 5G NR for carrying voice packets.
    • VoNR leverages various 5G features like URLLC (Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication) to ensure reliable and low-latency voice communication.

Robust Header Compression (ROHC):

  1. Introduction:
    ROHC stands for Robust Header Compression. It is a standard used in communication systems to compress header information of IP packets efficiently. Header compression is crucial in real-time communication systems like VoNR to reduce overhead and improve efficiency.
  2. Significance:
    • In voice communication systems, a significant portion of the transmitted data comprises headers, which provide routing and other necessary information.
    • ROHC reduces the size of these headers, leading to more efficient use of bandwidth and improved performance, especially in scenarios with limited bandwidth or high packet loss.
  3. Key Components:
    • Compression Profiles: ROHC defines various compression profiles tailored for different types of traffic (e.g., VoIP, video streaming). These profiles specify how headers should be compressed and decompressed.
    • Feedback Mechanisms: ROHC incorporates feedback mechanisms to ensure that compression and decompression are synchronized correctly between communicating entities.
    • Context Management: ROHC maintains contexts at both ends of the communication to store information necessary for compression and decompression.
  4. Operation:
    • When a packet is transmitted, the header information is compressed using the specified ROHC profile at the sender's end.
    • At the receiver's end, the compressed header is decompressed to reconstruct the original header.
    • ROHC employs various algorithms and techniques, such as dictionary-based compression and state machines, to achieve efficient compression while ensuring robustness against packet loss and errors.

Integration of VoNR with ROHC:

  1. Efficient Voice Transmission:
    • VoNR uses ROHC to compress voice packet headers, reducing overhead and conserving bandwidth.
    • This compression is crucial for real-time voice communication, where minimizing delay and ensuring efficient use of resources are paramount.
  2. Optimized Performance:
    • By integrating ROHC with VoNR, service providers can offer optimized voice services over the 5G NR network, meeting the stringent requirements of modern communication applications.
  3. Robustness:
    • ROHC's robustness ensures that even in scenarios with high packet loss or limited bandwidth, VoNR can maintain voice quality and reliability.