Orange makes itself clear on mobile calls

Orange claims to have introduced technology that will lead to the end of distorted and crackling mobile phone calls. The company's high definition (HD) voice service is being offered to 3G customers of the France Telecom-owned mobile operator.

The move follows a survey in which 75 percent of mobile phone users said that call quality was the most important feature of their device, Orange said that the new technology would help mobile phone users handle calls in the noisiest environments.

The technology will mean that mobile users will be able to pick up nuances in callers' voices, something that is not always possible with conventional mobile telephony.

Martin Stiven, VP of Business at Everything Everywhere, the company which runs Orange UK, said: "HD Voice is going to change the way businesses are able to communicate through our mobiles from conducting calls in places that were not previously possible to the ability to hear emotions in people's voices. People are going to love the clarity of calls and the lack of background noise."

The Orange HD Voice system uses a different voice codec to standard mobile calls. It uses a wider range of bandwith - 70 to 7000Hz – compared to the narrower 300 to 3400Hz used by conventional mobile telephony.

At the moment, Orange HD is confined to just two models, Nokia E5 and the Samsung Omnia Pro 5230, although the company has said that further models will be introduced in the coming months.