VoLGA Forum was formed in March 2009 by a group of companies in the wireless industry in an effort to define a set of specifications for enabling delivery of voice services over 3GPP Long Term Evolution

3GPP Long Term Evolution

3GPP Long Term Evolution, usually referred to as LTE, is a standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals. It is based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA network technologies, increasing the capacity and speed using new modulation techniques...

 (LTE) access networks based on the current 3GPP

3GPP

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project is a collaboration between groups of telecommunications associations, known as the Organizational Partners...

 Generic Access Network

Generic Access Network

Generic Access Network or GAN is a telecommunication system that extends mobile voice, data and IP Multimedia Subsystem/Session Initiation Protocol applications over IP networks...

 (GAN) standard.

VoLGA is an acronym for Voice over LTE via Generic Access.

The VoLGA Forum's mission is to promote the widespread adoption of VoLGA technology. The group wants to enable mobile operators to deliver voice and messaging services over upcoming LTE radio access networks using the same core networks they use today to support voice services on 2G/GSM and 3G/UMTS radio access networks.

The forum members include Alcatel-Lucent

Alcatel-Lucent

Alcatel-Lucent is a global telecommunications corporation, headquartered in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France. It provides telecommunications solutions to service providers, enterprises, and governments around the world, enabling these customers to deliver voice, data, and video services...

, Deutsche Telekom

Deutsche Telekom

Deutsche Telekom AG is a telecommunications company headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It is the largest telecommunications company in Europe....

, Huawei

Huawei

Huawei is a Chinese multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and services company headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China...

, HTC Corporation, LG Electronics

LG Electronics

LG Electronics is a global electronics and telecommunications company headquartered in Yeouido, Seoul, South Korea. The company operates its business through five divisions: mobile communications, home entertainment, home appliance, air conditioning and business solution...

, Motorola

Motorola

Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...

, Nortel

Nortel

Nortel Networks Corporation, formerly known as Northern Telecom Limited and sometimes known simply as Nortel, was a multinational telecommunications equipment manufacturer headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada...

, Sonus Networks

Sonus Networks

Sonus Networks, Inc. is a technology and telecommunications equipment company that provides voice infrastructure solutions for wireless and wireline service providers.-Corporate history:Sonus Networks was founded in 1997....

, Samsung

Samsung

The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...

, Starent Networks

Starent Networks

Starent Networks was an information technology and computer networking products company. It was headquartered in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, USA, with major engineering facilities in Pune, India and Bangalore, India...

, and ZTE

ZTE

ZTE Corporation formerly Zhongxing Telecommunication Equipment Corporation is a Chinese multinational telecommunications equipment and systems company headquartered in Shenzhen, China...

.

Swedish telecom equipment vendor Ericsson

Ericsson

Ericsson , one of Sweden's largest companies, is a provider of telecommunication and data communication systems, and related services, covering a range of technologies, including especially mobile networks...

was originally a member of the VoLGA Forum, but revoked their membership in December 2009.

The group has developed and published a set of open specifications. These can be used by vendors and operators of wireless communications systems and applications to develop and deploy interoperable solutions.

In December 2009, ­Deutsche Telekom announced it had completed the world's first voice call over LTE.