AT&T will shut down its 3G network next month, making way for 5G spectrum and services. But other operators worldwide, whose customers roam onto AT&T, still require the use of circuit-switch fall back, and that’s where Syniverse comes in.
On Tuesday, Syniverse announced, in collaboration with AT&T, the development and deployment of a solution that preserves inbound voice roaming after AT&T phases out its 3G network on February 22, 2022.
The 3G network is based on circuit-switched technology as opposed to VoLTE, which is what 4G LTE networks use. (For 5G voice, that’s another story, and it’s not quite ready for prime time.)
For mobile operators worldwide that still require the use of circuit-switch fall back, implementing Syniverse’s Evolved Mobility solution will ensure customers seamlessly connect when roaming on AT&T’s network after the 3G network shutdown, according to the vendor.
“Implementing this solution ensures a better customer experience by avoiding disruptions when roaming for those roaming subscribers that do not have VoLTE roaming support,” Syniverse said in a press release.
Over the past few years, AT&T has been in the process of phasing out its 3G network in order to accommodate next generation technology and services, like 5G, and give its customers a better network experience, according to Cameron Dunn, director of Mobility Inter-Carrier Architecture and Development at AT&T.
“To ensure voice roaming services after a circuit-switch decommission, we collaborated with Syniverse to create an innovative solution that could preserve customer experience. AT&T is very pleased with this solution as a ‘tool in the toolbox’ to avoid disruptions caused by network decommissions,” Dunn said in a statement.
AT&T is the first customer for this but if Syniverse has anything to say about it, it won’t be the last. The Tampa, Florida-based vendor is holding discussions with other operators, according to Brian Beach, senior product management director for Syniverse.
He also said via email that Syniverse has been working with mobile operators for more than 10 years to test, resolve and ensure the quality of several new VoLTE processes among different networks across a range of geographic regions.
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Last year, Syniverse, majority owned by the Carlyle Group since 2011, announced plans to go public through a merger agreement with M3-Brigade Acquisition II Corp. The company also received a $750 million investment last year from Twilio, which now owns a minority stake in Syniverse.
A special meeting of shareholders to consider the SPAC merger is scheduled for February 9. Once approved and finalized, Syniverse Technologies will be listed on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “SYNV.”