Oonagh ReidyTelstra has switch on HD to Next G network.
Described as “the first major advance in mobile voice quality in 20 years” HD Voice delivers crystal clear voice quality and suppresses background call noise, Telstra said today.
And iit s the mobile phone equivalent of switching from Standard Def to HDTV.
However, it only works on HD compatible phones, which currently includes Nokia’s 6720, E52, E72 and N8-00, HTC Desire S.
However, Telstra says it plans Sony Ericsson’s Neo-Xperia HD model will be included from next month and expects “a large percentage of new devices” to be launched with HD Voice support in the next year.
And talking in HD is cheap, in fact, it wont cost Next G users anything in what is the largest HD enabled network coverage in the world and the first in Australia, pipping rivals Optus and VHA to the post.
“The difference between a standard and HD call is the voice equivalent of comparing a VHS with a blue-ray DVD, HD Voice calling sounds like you’re talking face to face, even if you are hundreds or thousands of kilometres apart,” says Mike Wright, Executive Director, Telstra Networks & Access Technologies.
“In addition to the clarity of the calls, the noise suppression features make your HD-compatible handset much more effective in noisy environments such as on the train, in crowded places or in heavy traffic.
“HD-voice calls will require the caller and receiver to be using compatible handsets on the Telstra Next G mobile network for the full benefits of the technology.
HD Voice is made possible using state of the art technology known as Wideband Adaptive Multi-Rate coding (WB-AMR).
The wider dynamic range means over twice the range of voice frequencies are transmitted allowing customers to hear the full range of a person’s voice and makes it much clearer to distinguish between similar sounds like ‘S’ and ‘F’.
Telstra developed its IP based network in conjunction with vendor partner Ericsson.