Samsung Electronics is partnering with GSMA to enable Voice over LTE (VoLTE) as a default feature on all Samsung smartphones running Android 15 or newer, in a strategic move to boost voice call quality and mobile connectivity across 4G and 5G networks worldwide.
The collaboration, which is relying on GSMA’s Network Settings Exchange (NSX) and Interoperability Testing services, is being described by the partners as a global connectivity gamechanger expected to significantly benefit mobile subscribers in Nigeria and across Africa.
The GSMA, the global association for mobile operators, says its NSX platform is central to the partnership and is allowing operators and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like Samsung to validate and share network settings to ensure seamless interoperability.
According to GSMA, this ensures that users—regardless of location or network environment—can access seamless and high-quality voice services, especially for critical functions like emergency calls and international roaming.
GSMA has ‘strengthened Samsung’s VoLTE compatibility’
“Samsung devices using Android 15 or above, including the recently launched Galaxy S25 series, are being equipped to access high-quality VoLTE where supported,” GSMA says. This is achieved by deploying operator-defined IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) settings via NSX or defaulting to GSMA Profile #4 where needed, the industry group adds.
According to GSMA, this ensures that users—regardless of location or network environment—can access seamless and high-quality voice services, especially for critical functions like emergency calls and international roaming.
For Nigerian mobile users increasingly dependent on smartphones for daily communication, the move is aligning with global standards to offer more reliable voice service delivery. VoLTE technology enables faster call setup times, clearer voice quality, and simultaneous voice and data usage.
Justin Jun, Head of Quality and Head of Group UK at Samsung Electronics, underscores the significance of the collaboration:
“Our collaboration with GSMA has strengthened Samsung’s VoLTE compatibility, enabling more stable and seamless voice services across networks and regions,” Jun says. “We’re excited to keep advancing connectivity so users can count on an exceptional mobile experience, wherever life takes them.”
The South Korean technology giant is also aligning its internal interoperability testing procedures with GSMA’s frameworks to streamline VoLTE rollout across a wider ecosystem of global mobile operators and markets.
Industry watchers say the Samsung-GSMA partnership is setting the tone for other device manufacturers to accelerate VoLTE adoption, a move that reflects the broader shift towards next-generation mobile networks.
As mobile users in Nigeria and across Africa continue to demand better quality services over expanding 4G and 5G networks, the default integration of VoLTE is being positioned as a leap forward for voice communications in the digital era.
VoLTE: Understanding Its role in modern mobile networks
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) is a technology that enables high-quality voice calls over 4G LTE networks, rather than falling back to older 2G or 3G circuits. Traditional mobile voice calls are routed through circuit-switched networks, but VoLTE uses packet-switched data networks, allowing for faster call setup, better voice clarity, and simultaneous use of voice and data services.
With VoLTE, users can browse the internet, stream content, or use data-heavy apps while making voice calls—something not possible with older voice technologies that interrupt or degrade data connections during calls.
Importantly, VoLTE is natively compatible with 4G networks and acts as a bridge toward 5G networks, which are purely packet-switched and lack traditional circuit-switched voice infrastructure. As mobile operators phase out legacy 2G/3G networks, VoLTE becomes essential for maintaining voice service continuity over modern 4G and emerging 5G networks.
For countries like Nigeria where mobile penetration is growing and 4G/5G rollouts are expanding, VoLTE plays a crucial role in future-proofing mobile voice services, improving quality of service (QoS), and ensuring that users can access essential services—such as emergency calls—even in evolving network environments.
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