Orange has become the first mobile network operators in the UK to offer high definition (HD) voice calls with the launch of its HD Voice service.
The service has been rolled out across the UK following a successful trial in June.
It is designed to isolate voice sounds from background noise using technology called Adaptive Multi Rate Wideband (AMR-WB), which more than doubles the frequency range available for voice calls on the network, although Orange stresses that this will not affect the performance of its mobile network.
Orange is offering the service free to existing customers, but only those with an HD-enabled phone will be able to use it, meaning a lot of users will have to purchase a new handset.
Nokia and Sony Ericsson have begun installing the new technology in a number of their handsets, while the Nokia 5230, Nokia X6, Nokia E5 and Samsung Omnia Pro handsets are already HD Voice enabled.
Tom Alexander, Chief Executive of Everything Everywhere, the company which runs Orange UK, said: “Although what we use our mobile handsets for has evolved significantly in the past few years, the way we make mobile calls hasn’t changed a great deal since the 1990s.”
“We’re proud to be the first telecommunications brand in the UK to change this and offer customers a revolutionary new calling experience. With mobile HD Voice – hearing really is believing.”
Orange added that HD Voice demonstration units will be available in its high street retail stores and all HD Voice enabled handsets will be labelled with the Orange HD Voice logo to help customers recognise devices that support the new service.
