Nokia has announced a groundbreaking advancement in voice communication technology, achieving the world’s first phone call using 3D spatial audio. Pekka Lundmark, the CEO of Nokia, made this historic call, which represents a significant advancement in how we hear audio during phone calls.

The Innovation: IVAS Codec

The newest Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS) codec, which is a part of the upcoming 5G Advanced standard, made the call possible.

Unlike traditional monophonic calls that compress audio into a single channel, the IVAS codec delivers sound through multiple channels, creating a three-dimensional audio experience. 

This allows callers to perceive sounds as if they are coming from different directions, making conversations feel more lifelike and engaging.

First Live Immersive Call

During the call, made over a cellular network, Lundmark demonstrated the unique acoustic dimensions of the IVAS technology to Stefan Lindström, Finland’s Ambassador of Digitalization and New Technologies.

The call took place at Nokia’s campus in Espoo, Finland, showcasing the potential of this innovative technology to revolutionize voice communication.

Technical Aspects and Applications

The IVAS codec is a significant component of 5G Advanced, an upgrade to the current 5G networks. This enhancement promises not only faster speeds and improved energy efficiency but also more accurate cellular-based positioning and enhanced audio experiences. 

The technology behind IVAS enables live spatial audio across any connected devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and PCs.

“This groundbreaking audio technology takes you to the caller’s environment, creating a spatial and massively improved listening experience for voice and video calls,” Lundmark said. “It offers significant benefits for enterprise and industrial applications.”

Benefits and Future Integration

One of the notable advantages of the IVAS technology is its compatibility with existing hardware. Most modern smartphones already come equipped with multiple microphones, which are sufficient to support the spatial audio feature.

This means that once the IVAS codec is widely adopted, users will not need to invest in new devices to experience immersive audio calls.

Nokia’s President of Nokia Technologies, Jenni Lukander, emphasized the transformative nature of this technology, stating, “This is now becoming standardized, so network providers, chip manufacturers, and handset manufacturers can begin to implement it in their products.”

Industry Collaboration

Nokia is not alone in its efforts to bring this technology to the masses. The IVAS codec standard has been developed in collaboration with a consortium of 13 companies under the framework of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). 

This collective effort ensures interoperability between operators, chipsets, and handset manufacturers, making spatial communication accessible to all.

Challenges and Timeline

Despite the promising technology, widespread adoption may take some time. According to industry experts, it could be a few years before immersive audio and video calls become commonplace on cellular networks.

This is because the 5G Advanced standard, which includes the IVAS codec, is still in the early stages of rollout.

Potential Impact on Communication

The introduction of 3D spatial audio has the potential to revolutionize various aspects of communication. For instance, in a multi-stream teleconferencing setup, users will be able to distinguish different speakers based on their perceived location, enhancing the clarity and effectiveness of virtual meetings.

This technology also holds promise for enhanced extended reality (XR) applications, making interactions in augmented and mixed-reality environments more immersive and realistic.

Nokia’s achievement in making the world’s first immersive phone call using the IVAS codec represents a significant milestone in telecommunication. 

As this technology becomes more integrated into everyday devices and networks, it promises to transform the way we experience voice and video calls, making them more engaging and lifelike.

While full adoption may take some time, the potential benefits for both personal and professional communication are immense, heralding a new era of spatial audio experiences.

The information is taken from Reuters and India Today