Nokia Siemens Networks to improve voice call quality for 3 UK

Nokia Siemens Networks has revealed that it will be upgrading Hutchinson’s UK’s network, which operates under the brand name 3, to deliver HD quality voice calls. The upgrade, the vendor said, will provide 3’s subscribers with improved quality voice calls.

“Hutchinson is clearly focusing on the end user experience. To do that they identified voice quality as one of elements that could really change the feelings and the behaviour of their subscribers,” Nokia Siemens Networks head Giuseppe Donagemma told Telecoms.com.

The improvements come from software upgrades on the network, using improved algorithms and a new codec. Together, these process voice data more efficiently and special filters analyse the call to reduce unwanted background noise. Donagemma said that that due to the improved efficiency the HD calls would not require any more bandwidth on the network.

Donagemma said that,while the improvements were based on open standards rather than proprietary techniques, Hutchison has appointed NSN to make the upgrades due to their expertise and ability to focus on the quality of the end user experience.

“There are many things that are standardised but it doesn’t mean that all the suppliers are developing or designing their networks according to this standard. Some vendors are focused on speed and some on capacity. What we do as an infrastructure supplier is to concentrate on the functionality that will bring end user experience because we believe that, for our customers to be successful in the market, they need to satisfy their end users,” he said.

Donagemma said the software upgrade was possible because NSN’s Flexi base-station platform was fully future proofed and that major updates such as LTE could also be done in the same manner.