Nokia has made a major breakthrough in telecommunications by conducting the first cellular call using the 3GPP Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS) codec. This development is being hailed as a game-changer in live voice calling, surpassing the capabilities of traditional monophonic telephony.
The IVAS codec is a key component of the upcoming 5G Advanced standard, allowing for real-time spatial audio that greatly enhances the quality of voice calls. This technology is capable of producing three-dimensional sound, promising a more immersive and engaging communication experience.
During a demonstration, Nokia’s President and CEO, Pekka Lundmark, conducted a live audio and video call with Stefan Lindström, Finland’s Ambassador of Digitalization and New Technologies. This call showcased the unique acoustic features of the IVAS technology, highlighting its enhanced quality and potential to revolutionize personal and professional communication.
Lindström emphasized the significant impact of the immersive voice experience on various applications, particularly in extended reality (XR) and the metaverse. Lundmark further emphasized that this new audio technology represents the future of voice calls, offering a spatial listening experience that can greatly enhance enterprise and industrial communications.
The development of the 3GPP IVAS codec involved a collaborative effort among 13 companies, including Nokia, under a public collaboration framework. While the successful call demonstrated the potential of the technology over a public 5G network, widespread implementation in mobile networks has yet to occur.
According to the 3GPP, IVAS will not only enhance traditional voice services but also support more immersive multimedia experiences, such as conversational voice, multi-stream teleconferencing, and virtual reality interactions. Nokia envisions a future where spatial audio can transform communication, creating a more realistic and engaging experience for users.
Overall, this innovation represents a significant step forward in leveraging 5G technology to improve communication experiences as long as network infrastructure supports its implementation
