The World’s 1st ‘Immersive Audio’ Phone Call With 3D Sound Has Been Made By Nokia’s CEO

Telecommunications and technology giant Nokia has announced a revolutionary breakthrough in voice communication technology. The company achieved the world’s first cellular call using the new Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS) codec, which allows users to experience calls in 3D spatial sound in real-time, moving beyond today’s monophonic smartphone voice calls.

Current smartphone calls often sound flat and less detailed because they compress audio elements together. However, the new IVAS codec technology brings a 3D audio experience, making callers feel as if they are physically present with the other person. This leap forward was demonstrated by Pekka Lundmark, Nokia’s President and CEO, who made the first live immersive audio and video call with Stefan Lindström, Finland’s Ambassador of Digitalization and New Technologies, from Nokia’s campus in Espoo.

The call was enabled by the IVAS codec technology, which is part of the upcoming 5G Advanced standard. According to a press release by Nokia, the IVAS codec technology facilitates live spatial audio across various connected devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and PCs. This innovation brings people together for real-life interaction with three-dimensional sound, marking the most significant advancement in live voice calling since the advent of monophonic telephony audio.

“We have demonstrated the future of voice calls,” Lundmark stated. “This groundbreaking audio technology takes you to the caller’s environment, creating a spatial and massively improved listening experience for voice and video calls, offering significant benefits for enterprise and industrial applications.”

The IVAS codec standard was developed by a consortium of 13 companies under the IVAS codec public collaboration framework, with Nokia leading the standardization efforts. This innovation aims to enable interoperability between operators, chipset, and handset manufacturers, making spatial communication accessible to all.

Lindström remarked on the enhanced richness and quality of the call, highlighting the engaging and lifelike interaction made possible by the three-dimensional sound experience. He noted that immersive communications technology would elevate XR and metaverse interactions to the next level, emphasizing its broad potential for both personal and professional communication.