HD voice refers to communication technologies that improve the quality of audio calls or the audio segment of a video call. However, depending on what calling system you’re using, HD voice technology may or may not be compatible or available. Most users experience VoIP with HD voice when using platforms such as Skype on their devices.
Although many people don’t view Skype as an HD voice platform since it’s not a traditional telephone system, it is by all communication standards. With the switch from traditional landline phone service to predominantly satellite/cellular communication networks, HD voice is now possible for telephony.
To learn more about HD voice and how it works exactly and why major corporations and businesses are making the switch from plain old telephone service (POTS) to the more advanced packet-switched VoIP fiber optic networks with VoIP providers, continue reading.
How Does VoIP With HD Voice Work for Cellular Networks?
When it comes to a hybrid satellite communication system and cellular networks, they first debuted in 2000; however, recent developments in HD voice over the last few years have seen improvements for HSPA+, GSM, CDMA2000, and LTE. Moreover, as we approach 2023, device manufacturers are releasing modem chipsets with full HD voice support.
Here’s how exactly HD voice and cellular networks work and the reasons for upgrading to cloud phone technology:
CDMA2000
CDMA2000 with HD voice is a new infrastructure upgrade that requires making a switch from the 1X carrier to the 1X Advanced. This HD voice technology expands the 1X channel by 300Kbps, providing plenty of room for higher quality and brand new audio codec.
The Enhanced Variable Rate Codec for wideband/narrowband codec is a redesigned codec for CDMA2000 systems. It scales the supported CDMA2000 narrowband channels to new wideband channels provided in the 1X Advanced. However, if you want to take full advantage, a multi-microphone with noise canceling is required.
Additionally, this new codec offers perfect encoding audio at a sampling rate of 16KHz in the range of 50Hz-4KHz rather than half of that for the narrowband codec and the wideband codec provides better audio recording abilities by going up to 7KHz rather than 4KHz.
GSM
An HD voice platform with GSM includes LTE, 2G GSM, and HSPA+ and makes up the core of the network upgrade. HD voice technology with GSM requires the base station’s audio channel to be wider to accommodate the Adaptive Multi-Rate Wideband (AMR-WB) codec.
While EVRC-NW provides the same advantages as AMR-WB; however, an HD voice on the GSM side is easier because it doesn’t require robust equipment upgrades at the tower/base station side. Since HD voice implementations come with some restrictions, CDMA200 and GMS variants may not be the best integration for the foreseeable future.
Here are some of the reasons:
- GSM calls to CDMA phone system or vice versa will be lower to narrowband codecs for current interoperability systems with HD voice technology support.
- CDMA2000 networks, all users participating in a phone call have to be connected to the cell tower that supports CDMA2000 1X Advanced.
- Each GSM handset connected to 1X Advanced cells must include a chipset supporting the new codec and 1X Advanced.
In the end for HD voice with GSM networks, all connected handsets during the call are required to support the AMR-WB.
LTE
VoIP with HD Voice in LTE is built directly into the VoLTE standard due to using AMR-WB. With AMR-WB support and upgrading to cloud phone technology, HD voice is possible. The last step is for the LTE network operator to activate HD voice on their network but standard telephony VoIP with HD voice isn’t available as of yet.
All VoIP service providers using wireline telephony services such as PanTerra, 8X8, GoToConnect, and others use narrow speech codecs; therefore, HD voice has no capabilities. However, SIP does support it as VoLTE HD is the basis for voice support.
Since most traditional wireline networks max the bandwidth at 12Kbps to prevent excess data from going through, superior-quality speech codes are not supported. VoIP service providers can help you with the best VoIP with HD voice for your current telephone systems or simply make the switch by upgrading to cloud phone technology.
In the past, there weren’t any US networks that provided HD voice. Still, T-Mobile was technically capable of it because of their new WiFi calling feature that uses VoLTE technology but wasn’t currently enabled at the time. So when did the United States see it enabled? When T-Moblie deployed LTE on March 13th, 2014.
Real Business Benefits of VoIP With HD Voice
HD voice technology delivers twice the sound when compared to a standard voice telephone call via traditional landline phone service, the world’s old analog circuit-switched telephone network also known as POTS, or PSTN for those who want to be groovy and formal.
Here are some real business benefits of HD voice technology:
- Better understanding and clarity of acronyms
- Improved comprehension of technical or long detailed discussions
- More accurate transcriptions for both automated and human voice calls
- The capabilities to differentiate the identity of caller’s voices on conference calls
- Easier understanding in multi-lingual/multi-national conversations
The bottom line is that everything that runs on HD voice is better regardless of a one-on-one phone call, speech-to-text process, or a 30-minute long-distant international phone call. Upgrading to cloud phone technology is the wave of the global business future and a smart business decision.
How Do I Upgrade to Cloud Phone Technology?
Upgrading to cloud phone technology is as easy as picking a VoIP with HD voice service provider at UCaaS Review. Our list of high-quality VoIP service providers with HD voice technology is the best company currently providing HD voice and VoIP technology.
To get VoIP with HD voice technology, call UCaaS Review today or click here to request a quote and discover the real business world benefits of VoIP with HD voice.