Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-09-09 Origin: Site
Almaty, Kazakhstan – September 8, 2025 – At the project site of Kcell, the country’s second-largest mobile operator, Genew Technologies, together with its partners, successfully completed the first-ever VoLTE HD voice call test based on the IMS architecture. This milestone marks Kcell’s official entry into the all-IP voice era, delivering clearer audio, faster call setup, and a richer communication experience, and represents a major step forward in the evolution of its network.
Founded in 1998, Kcell is one of Kazakhstan’s leading mobile communication operators and operates under two brands: “Kcell”, which primarily serves enterprise and government customers, and “Activ”, which focuses on the mass retail market. By the end of 2016, Kcell’s subscriber base had already reached nearly 10 million and has continued to grow steadily. The company has long been committed to providing high-quality voice, SMS, value-added services, and internet access, while actively advancing the deployment of 4G and 5G networks to enhance user experience and brand value.
In its existing network, Kcell’s 4G core only supported data services, forcing voice traffic to fall back to 3G, which could not meet users’ demand for HD voice quality. To address this, Genew’s IMS core network team, led by Director Zhang Guangsheng, designed a tailored solution that included a full IMS core network integrated with PCRF and DRA network elements. The system was connected to the existing EPC and HSS platforms via standard interfaces, maximizing the use of Kcell’s current infrastructure. Following comprehensive evaluation, Kcell adopted Genew’s solution.
The deployed IMS system offers strong scalability, supporting up to 2 million VoLTE subscribers, 200,000 VoNR subscribers, and 130,000 VoWiFi subscribers. It also incorporates lawful interception, dual-site disaster recovery, and flexible deployment on both hardware servers and cloud platforms. By enabling voice services to run directly over 4G/5G data networks without relying on 2G/3G fallback, VoLTE delivers significant advantages:
HD audio and video experience – with advanced codecs, voices sound more natural while background noise is greatly reduced;
Faster call setup – call connection time is shortened by nearly 50%, enabling “instant call” experiences;
Enhanced service capabilities – laying the foundation for future rich communication services (RCS), video ringback tones, and other value-added features.
“The success of Kcell’s first VoLTE call is of great significance, once again proving the technical strength of Genew’s IMS system. Kazakhstan is a key country in Central Asia and an important market under the Belt and Road Initiative, with strong demand for telecom infrastructure development. This collaboration not only helps Kcell upgrade its network but also supports Genew in further expanding into the Central Asian market, strengthening brand influence and increasing market share.”
Looking ahead, the project team will conduct extensive testing covering network coverage, multi-vendor interoperability, inter-network roaming, SRVCC (Single Radio Voice Call Continuity), VoWiFi, and VoNR. These efforts aim to ensure voice service stability and superior user experience across diverse scenarios, paving the way for full-scale commercial deployment in the near future.
