Nokia has just taken voice calls into the future with a breakthrough new technology called “immersive audio and video.” The Finnish tech giant successfully demonstrated the world’s first live immersive voice call between its CEO Pekka Lundmark and Finland’s Ambassador of Digitalization Stefan Lindström.
What makes this technology so revolutionary? Instead of the flat, monophonic sound we’re used to on today’s phone calls, immersive voice calls use 3D spatial audio to create a rich, lifelike experience. It’s like the person on the other end is in the same room as you.
The immersive effect is enabled by Nokia’s new Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS) codec that is part of the upcoming 5G advanced standards. IVAS transmits sound with information about its spatial dimensions, allowing audio to be rendered in three dimensions at the receiving end.
During the demo call, Lundmark was able to give Lindström an audio tour of Nokia’s campus in Espoo, Finland. Lundmark described the experience as truly “groundbreaking” and a major leap forward for voice communication.
While still in the early stages, the potential applications of immersive voice go far beyond just better-sounding phone calls. It opens up exciting possibilities for more engaging remote communication, richer extended reality experiences, and industrial use cases requiring spatial audio.
The key to unlocking these immersive experiences is that IVAS has been established as a new global standard through the 3GPP consortium. This interoperability across networks, devices and platforms will allow the technology to scale rapidly.
Nokia has been instrumental in pioneering IVAS, contributing major technical components and driving the standardization efforts. The company’s deep expertise in connectivity and rich patent portfolio position it well to be a leader in immersive communications.
With immersive voice calls now a reality, the way we communicate vocally may never be the same. The richer, more realistic experience could completely change our expectations and preferences for audio interactions. The spatial communications revolution has arrived, thanks to Nokia.
Reference
Nokia makes world’s first immersive voice call published in Punch