Voice packets over the control plane

A system for providing a voice call over a wireless network, the system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a computer-readable medium storing instructions that are operative upon execution by the processor to:
• receive, from a user equipment (UE), a request to initiate a voice call traffic session;
• request setup of a voice call data pipe for communicating voice packets of the voice call traffic session;
• start a timer in response to requesting setup of the voice call data pipe;
• determine that setup of the voice call data pipe has not been completed prior to expiration of the timer;
• based on determining that the setup of the voice call data pipe has not been completed prior to expiration of the timer, transmit voice packets over a signaling data pipe, wherein the signaling data pipe is a bearer in fifth generation (5G) and the voice packets in the signaling data pipe have a highest priority of 1, and wherein the voice packets are not transmitted over either of the signaling data pipe and the voice call data pipe prior to expiration of the timer;
• and
• based on at least the voice call data pipe setup completing, cease to transmit the voice packets over the signaling data pipe and transmit the voice packets over the voice call data pipe.

One or more computer storage devices having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, which, upon execution by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

• receiving, from a user equipment (UE), a request to initiate a voice call traffic session;
• requesting setup of a voice call data pipe for communicating voice packets of the voice call traffic session;
• starting a timer in response to requesting setup of the voice call data pipe;
• determining that setup of the voice call data pipe has not been completed prior to expiration of the timer;
• based on determining that the setup of the voice call data pipe has not been completed prior to expiration of the timer, transmitting voice packets over a signaling data pipe, wherein the signaling data pipe is a bearer in fifth generation (5G) and the voice packets in the signaling data pipe have a highest priority of 1, and wherein the voice packets are not transmitted over either of the signaling data pipe and the voice call data pipe prior to expiration of the timer;
• and
• based on at least the voice call data pipe setup completing, ceasing to transmit the voice packets over the signaling data pipe and transmitting the voice packets over the voice call data pipe.