In Ookla's testing, 4G voice connected calls about as quickly as 5G voice. The median was 1.87 seconds for VoLTE, the 4G calling technology, compared with 1.96 seconds for VoNR, its 5G counterpart. Ookla treated that roughly 5% gap as comparable within the study. If faster call connections are your reason for upgrading, those results give you a concrete reason to check the carrier's voice performance before choosing by network generation.
Published October 4, 2026, the Ookla report uses controlled RootMetrics measurements across eight markets. Its direct comparison of eight operators found faster connections on VoNR at six of them. That leaves room for real 5G improvements, while showing why the newer technology cannot automatically be treated as the faster option for placing a call.
RootMetrics Compared Calls Under Controlled Conditions
The analysis is by Luke Kehoe, who leads Ookla's European research and thought leadership work. RootMetrics, also branded Speedtest Drive in some markets, supplied the controlled measurements. Ookla describes this approach as trained teams following set driving routes, using matching devices and scripted tests. Those repeated conditions are intended to isolate network behavior, including the signaling involved in connecting calls.
The geographic sample combines city testing with nationwide testing. Measurements from the second half of 2025 cover Seoul in South Korea, London in the UK, New York in the US, Lisbon in Portugal, Luanda in Angola, plus nationwide testing in Malaysia and Singapore. Manila in the Philippines supplies the remaining market, measured during the first half of 2026. Keeping those locations and periods attached to the results matters when comparing a carrier with service where you live.
The Carrier Can Matter More Than The Generation
Call setup measures the wait between initiating a call and hearing the ringing signal. Ookla says a wait below 2 seconds feels instant, making its 2-second benchmark useful for interpreting the results. The report also stresses consistency: a strong median can sit alongside a smaller group of calls that take much longer. It flags the slowest 5% of VoNR calls as a potential problem even when medians look strong. For readers who care about dependable calling, both measurements deserve attention.
The New York results give U.S. readers a concrete comparison within the tested city. Boost Mobile's VoNR median was 1.81 seconds, while T-Mobile's was 2.34 seconds. Both figures describe 5G voice, yet they differ by operator. When evaluating the report for a carrier decision, that comparison is a reason to read beyond a simple promise of 5G calling.
Singapore's Starhub shows how a respectable central result can conceal longer waits. Its VoNR median was 1.82 seconds, but the 95th percentile reached 6.33 seconds. Only 57% of its VoNR samples reached the 2-second target. Its VoLTE results were stronger on those measures: nearly 80% met the target, and the 95th percentile was 2.38 seconds. For that operator, the newer voice technology did not deliver the more consistent result.
There were strong 5G results, too. Singtel in Singapore recorded a VoNR median of 1.07 seconds against 1.22 seconds for its own VoLTE service, with over 90% meeting the 2-second target on VoNR. In Malaysia, YES recorded 1.6 seconds on VoNR and 2.17 seconds on VoLTE. Those examples support checking the individual deployment, since the report documents gains as well as weaker 5G outcomes.
Check Voice Measurements Before Choosing An Upgrade
Start with results for the operator and place you are considering, then check whether the measurement describes VoLTE or VoNR. The report's New York comparison between Boost Mobile and T-Mobile concerns VoNR, while the London medians of 1.37 seconds for EE and 1.41 seconds for Three concern VoLTE. Treating all those figures as interchangeable evidence of a generation's superiority would miss what was actually measured.
Next, look for the proportion reaching the 2-second benchmark, plus the 95th percentile and median. Starhub's 1.82-second VoNR median and 6.33-second 95th percentile illustrate why the median alone is an incomplete buying guide. If quick, predictable connections are the goal, use the report's consistency measurements to judge that goal alongside its headline speed figures.
Also check whether the voice result involves switching to an older network to complete the call. Ookla describes EPS fallback as moving from 5G to 4G for calling. Its separate CSFB category involves reverting from 4G to 2G or 3G. In the study, CSFB had a 4.48-second median, and 5.5% of those calls took more than 10 seconds. That is a materially different result from the 1.87-second VoLTE median.
The Findings Have Clear Limits
The report provides no total count of tested calls. Its U.S. measurements cover New York, so they do not establish nationwide carrier performance or predict an individual subscriber's experience.
