Qualcomm has announced it has successfully completed the first voice call handover from an LTE mobile network to a WCDMA network using Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC).

An important technology required for voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) support, SRVCC is a 3GPP specified feature that enables continuity of service by switching to a WCDMA network when a consumer on a VoLTE call leaves the LTE network’s coverage area. This breakthrough was managed with an Ericsson network using a handset which incorporated Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 3G/LTE multimode processor.

Apparently Qualcomm will be showing off the technology at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain at the end of the month. Cristiano Amon, senior vice president of product management, Qualcomm said that as LTE networks are deployed alongside 3G networks, the ability for multimode 3G/LTE mobile devices to connect to different network technologies will be an important part of providing the best possible mobile voice and data experience to consumers. SRVCC is the next logical step in the 4G LTE voice roadmap following the commercial launch of circuit-switched fallback technology (CSFB) on smartphones in 2011.

CSFB allows a single radio in the handset to dynamically switch from an LTE data connection to a 3G connection when the user needs to make or receive a call. Similarly, SRVCC support enables a single radio in the handset to execute a seamless handover of a voice call from an LTE network to a 3G network. SRVCC and CSFB allow both LTE and 3G network connections to be supported on a single chip, eliminating the need for smartphones to use separate LTE and 3G radios and modems. This allows OEMs to design handsets with lower power consumption and component costs and a smaller size.