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Nokia technology provides wireline quality in the Optus cellular network
February 04, 1998
Optus Communications is supporting Enhanced Full Rate (EFR) capability in its Nokia GSM network and is also using Nokia's Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) feature providing speech quality comparable to wireline quality in the Optus mobile network. The service is now available in Sydney and Melbourne and is currently being rolled out in the Optus GSM network nationally.
With the mobile phone becoming the preferred phone for voice communications, subscribers expect high voice quality when talking on their mobile phone. Some mobile phones can introduce acoustic echo (the sound from the earpiece couples into the microphone). This problem is not at all evident to the mobile's user -- only to the person speaking to them. Although EFR provides enhanced speech quality in GSM networks, EFR mobiles could still suffer from acoustic echo problems.
To provide excellent quality, Nokia recommends using its acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) feature together with EFR in GSM networks.
Mr Bill Hope, acting Chief Technical Officer, Optus explained "In our service tests, Nokia's AEC has proven to be an essential element in achieving comparable wireline speech quality offered by EFR. Our goal is of course, to deliver the best possible voice quality to our customers, and the implementation of the Nokia EFR and Nokia AEC solutions in our GSM network will certainly go a long way to achieving this. "
Mr Olli Oittinen, Vice President, Sales, Radio Access Systems, Nokia, continues, "Mobile Phone Carriers such as Optus are very aware that to remain competitive, they have to provide comparable wireline quality voice services in their networks. We are therefore very pleased that Optus have selected Nokia's AEC solution and EFR solution as part of providing this high quality of service."
In November last year, Nokia introduced its new generation of mobile phones for all GSM standards, the Nokia 6100 series. The Nokia 6100 products provide superb audio and speech quality through leak tolerant speaker and acoustic echo cancellation technology. They are also the first GSM phones to support all three existing wireless voice codecs: EFR, Full Rate and Half Rate. Nokia 6100 GSM phones are available in volume from February 1998.
Nokia and Optus have been co-operating since 1992 when Optus selected Nokia as the supplier of their GSM 900 network. Nokia and Optus signed an AUS$200 million frame agreement in 1997, which covers the period 1997 to 1999. With the signing of this agreement, Nokia continues as the sole supplier to Optus for GSM base station subsystems.
Optus, was the first carrier in the world to offer a full set of integrated communication services, providing long-distance and mobile telephony, local calls in selected areas, high speed and flexible data services, satellite services and Pay TV. It has annual revenues of nearly AUS$2.5 billion, has invested more than $7 billion building its networks and currently employs more than 6,000 people.
Nokia offers total GSM systems, with everything from digital mobile phones to transmission and switching. Having supplied GSM technology to 65 operators in 34 countries, Nokia ranks as the world's largest supplier of GSM 1800 networks and one of the two largest in GSM 900.
Further information:
Ms Tuula Putkinen, Communications Manager
Nokia Telecommunications
Tel. (Int.) + 358 9 5113 8541
Fax (Int.) + 358 9 5113 8200
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