Telenor brings excellent sound to its mobile network in Norway

“During the last few years, there has been a rapid development of mobile technology: we’ve got a faster network, smarter phones, and new services. Soon there won’t be anything that you can’t do with your mobile phone. But one area has been lagging behind. Sound quality during calls has not seen any significant improvements since the introduction of GSM in the early 90s,” says Berit Svendsen, CEO of Telenor Norway.

However, from today Telenor will be taking its customers on a journey of constantly improving sound quality.

“Mobile phone conversations where it’s difficult to understand what’s being said can be very tiresome. We finally have the solution to meet this challenge and Telenor will be working to ensure that more and more people are able to enjoy the benefits of the mobile sound quality of the future,” says Svendsen.

Fewer Misunderstandings

With HD Voice, of which Telenor is the only provider in Norway, Telenor’s customers will experience greatly improved sound quality compared to standard mobile sound quality. Apart from better voice rendering, it is the reduction in background noise that will particularly improve the calling experience.

‘The nuances in tone will be clear and the sound more lifelike. Those working in or located in areas with a lot of background noise, such as cafés or close to traffic, will benefit greatly from HD Voice. Better sound quality will also generally ensure fewer misunderstandings and will allow you to talk more quietly on the phone. This is very convenient when you are in a public space,’ says Berit Svendsen.

No extra cost for Telenor Customers

The service is automatically available for all Telenor customers and is available free of cost. However, you must have a phone that is HD Voice ready, as must the other person in the phone call. Most newer smart phones are HD Voice ready on 3G.

Initially, only customers on Telenor’s 3G network will benefit from the new system. During the course of the year, customers using Telenor’s 2G network will also get the chance to use HD Voice, but there are unfortunately few mobile phones that support the system on 2G. Later on there will also be support for HD Voice calls between the 2G and 3G networks, but this is expected to be in the more distant future.