HD Voice: some lessons and perspectives.

October 2013yannick.mahieux@orange.com

Hear Better – Feel Closer

HD Voice over mobile in a nutshell

What is HD Voice?

Three factors

Basic technicalcomponents

• Wide band speech [50 Hz / 7 kHz]• Clarity, comfort, presence • To enhance Voice value

• Network: QoS and transparency• Device: Acoustics, Noise reduction• Communication: « make it known »

• Wide band codec: AMR-WB, EVRC-NW• Network: IP transport, TrFO• Acoustics requirements from GSMA /

3GPP, noise reduction

HD Voice is a worldwide reality

Over 85 HD mobile networks• More than 60 countriessource GSA: http://www.gsacom.com/hdvoice/

Over 200 device models• Generalized over smartphones

Customer base: 100 millions (estimation eof 2013)

One logo defined by GSMA• One recognized symbol for mobile

(3GPP, 3GPP2) and fixed (CAT-iq).• Guaranteed quality technical

requirements (network and devices).• Supported by 45 companies

http://www.gsma.com/futurecommunications/hdvoice.php

When aware, customer opinion is very positive

Sources– Orange France FUT (July 2010): 33 couples of testers (http://www.gsma.com/newsroom/ir-36-1-0-adaptive-multirate-wide-band )– Orange Moldova Consumer survey (April 2011): 102 Orange Moldova HD customers– Orange Romania Consumer survey (Feb. 2012): 500 Orange Romania HD « aware » customers

HD Voice customers are very satisfied by the service• Is HD call Quality better than before? Yes: 89% (France)• Are you satisfied with HD Voice? Yes 81% (No: 4%) (Romania)

Aware customers expect HD Voice (France)• Is HD Voice - as tested - an evolution that you expect from your operator ? Yes 92% • Are you ready to change your mobile to benefit from HD Voice? Yes 76%

HD Voice has a positive impact on brand and on loyalty• Since using HD Voice, your opinion of Orange network is Better 56% - Worse 2%• To what extent does HD encourage you to stay with Orange? Yes 73% - No 25%

HD voice boosts monthly usage

Increased Voice Usage• Customers switching to a non HD Voice

handset voice usage increase +2,8 % • Customers switching to a HD Voice

handset (right) increase +5,6 % gap of about +3%

Observed in other European countriesSpain : +3,8%Belgium : +4%Romania : +2,1%Moldova : +2,7%

• Monthly voice usage (incoming and outgoing calls) of Orange France customers switching to a handset in early 2012.

• Observed, 6 months prior to the switch and 6 months after the switch

• Today, to fully benefit from HD: be under 3G + call another HD customer of the same PLMN being too under 3G

Today, HD 10% of HD customer calls

Stake: increase HD call occurrence

Increase HD call occurence• Widen the HD Voice device portfolio• Extend to other networks (2G, VoLTE) • Connect « HD islands » through

interoperability.

HD call probability evolution - example

Time

Proba

x 2

HD voice levers to be regionally adapted

HD Voice device portfolio- Smartphone: generalized

support in progress.- HD over feature phones is

key for emergent markets.

HD interoperability- The key factor- National / int’l interop

• First HD connexions direct or by hubs• Made easier as standardized (SIP / SIP-i, AMR-WB)• Roadmap driven by IP to IP interco.

Mobile sales (million units)

Extension over 2G- HD call occurrence - Continuity when 3G / 2G

handover

• Depending on country network profiles• RAN evolution to IP interface with CN• Support over dual mode devices to generalize.

source: Yankee Group

HD Voice over VoLTE

• GSMA IR 92 (IMS Profile for Voice): AMR-WB.• Device requirements under definition by 3GPP R12• HD logo for VoLTE to be considered at GSMA.

• Device impact (jitter buffer, a-synchronism…) • Handover LTE to 3G (SRVCC)• VoLTE / 3G HD interop (benefit from installed basis)

• AMR-WB @ 23.85 kbps (non speech signals, conf.)• Communication about HD Voice at VoLTE launch• Super HD thanks to EVS codec by 3GPP

HD VoLTE already exists

HD VoLTE is specified

… and opportunities to exploit

• First launches in Korea (SKT, LG U+, KT) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IeryI_DnMs

Still some points to pay attention

As a conclusion, four wishes: • HD Voice support over feature phones• Bridges built between HD islands• A still magnified audio user experience in VoLTE• HD Voice logo commonly used and recognized

http://www.voixhd.orange.com/fr/Accueil http://www.gsma.com/futurecommunications/hdvoice.php