Orange Uganda has pulled a first one in the region. The GSM operator has launched high definition (HD) voice calls in the country. The company is looking to use its national 3G network to deliver the news service. HD calls have noise-reduction technology that reduces the hisses and crackles of normal mobile calls.
The HD Voice Calls system runs on a technology known as Adaptive Multi Rate Wideband (AMR-WB). It has been adopted as an international standard for 3G mobile networks. The service was first tested in Moldova in 2009 and launched in united Kingdom in August 2010 by the French telecom giant.
The Uganda launch is a first in Sub-Saharan Africa. HD voice is also known as wideband audio and is different with the narrowband (normal GSM) audio in the frequency allocation hence the many interference.
Few handsets supports this technology though but Nokia has the 6720c which is know to have been a pioneer in this field. Orange Uganda has launched the offer with two new handsets: a ZTE F160 and an LG Saffron, both now available at Orange outlets.
Orange has also rolled out HD voice in the UK, France, Belgium, Romania, Armenia, Dominican Republic and Catalonia. To enjoy HD voice though, one needs an HD Voice enabled handset and 3G coverage for both the caller and receiver.
Orange, France Telecoms, operations in Kenya launched in 2008 2009 in Uganda.
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