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Voice over New Radio (VoNR) allows mobile phones to make calls via 5G, instead of being restricted to the current 4G Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology. Some mobile networks have already activated VoNR in certain regions, while others are yet to roll it out.
But don’t worry, this isn’t a repeat of the 3G shutdown in 2024. You don't need to ditch your 4G phone or worry about being able to make calls outside of 5G-supported areas. Assuming your phone even supports VoNR, it will automatically fall back to a VoLTE connection if appropriate 5G coverage isn’t available. And, if your phone doesn't support VoNR at all, VoLTE will still be he most widely available option for making phone calls in Australia for some time yet.
What is VoNR and why does it matter?
In contrast to the big differences you can get between 5G and 4G internet speeds, you're unlikely to notice much improvement between VoNR calls and the current VoLTE standard. The main benefits will likely be improved voice clarity and maintaining a better background connection to the internet while making a phone call.
Voice clarity
VoNR can analyse and filter out some background noise during phone calls. This is also a feature of 4G VoLTE, but VoNR has the potential to improve it even further thanks to its higher data capacity and lower latency.
Better connections
Currently in Australia, all mobile phones use a 4G connection to make phone calls (with the exception of WiFi calling). This means your phone will "fall back" to 4G during a call, including for its internet connection.
This 4G fallback isn’t a problem if all you’re doing is having a conversation. But if you’re trying to use the internet at the same time, it can mean a slower or less reliable experience. Admittedly, 4G is usually more than up to the task for just about any day-to-day phone usage, but you still might run into the occasional exception or be in an area where 5G internet coverage is noticeably stronger than 4G.
With VoNR, your phone will maintain its 5G internet connection during a call.
There’s also the issue of congestion during large public events. If the mobile network towers at a given location experience larger-than-usual demand, those towers can make use of both their 4G VoLTE and 5G VoNR capacity for calls, instead of just VoLTE.
Will my phone work with VoNR?
Whether your phone has access – or will at some point have access – to VoNR depends on two things: device compatibility and network support.
Just because a phone has 5G internet doesn’t necessarily mean it also supports VoNR. The phone's hardware needs to be capable of VoNR and your device's manufacturer might also need to roll out an update to enable this function. Your mobile network also needs to have rolled out VoNR in your area, which is by no means guaranteed.
Vodafone is the only network provider to have already rolled out VoNR, having first done so in December 2024 – but Optus hasn't started rolling it out yet. This complicates knowing exactly where Vodafone's VoNR support exists because some of Vodafone's coverage is via Optus towers, thanks to the network sharing agreement of these two telcos.
As a rule of thumb, if you're in a major city, chances are your 5G coverage will be on Vodafone's own towers and therefore have VoNR support. If you're further afield, you're more likely on a shared Optus tower with no VoNR.
We got in touch with Vodafone to get a list of phones that will already work with VoNR in supported areas on the Vodafone 5G network:
| Brand | Model or series |
|---|---|
| Apple | iPhone Air |
| Apple | iPhone 17 series |
| Apple | iPhone 16 series |
| Apple | iPhone 15 series |
| Motorola | Moto G35 5G |
| Motorola | Moto G56 5G |
| Motorola | Moto G67 5G |
| Motorola | Signature 5G |
| OPPO | A6x 5G |
| OPPO | Find N6 5G |
| OPPO | Find X5 5G |
| OPPO | Find X5 Pro 5G |
You might have noticed there aren't any Samsung phones on the above list just yet. Samsung is expected to add VoNR support later this year, subject to hardware compatibility and software updates.
A Telstra spokesperson confirmed for WhistleOut that VoNR is indeed part of its current deployment roadmap, but at this stage, the telco doesn't have specific timeframes to share. As for device support, since January 2026, Telstra has required all new phones sold via its website to have VoNR hardware support. However, this isn't the same as being ready to connect to VoNR as soon as it goes live. Your phone will also need the correct software updates.
Will 4G be shutting down any time soon?
At some point, 4G will inevitably go the way of 3G. But you don’t need to worry about a 4G shutdown any time soon. This likely won't be a concern for close to a decade.
That said, VoNR could partially reduce network reliance on 4G, which opens up the possibility of network operators re-purposing some existing 4G towers as 5G. But even if this ends up happening as a result of a VoNR rollout, you shouldn’t find yourself in areas that have VoNR coverage without VoLTE to fall back on for some time yet.
Alex Angove-Plumb
Digital Content Editor
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