QUALCOMM enhances 3G call quality

September 4, 2005

QUALCOMM announced that it has integrated sound enhancement technology onto the Company's Mobile Station Modem (MSM) chipsets. Designed to improve the acoustic performance of 3G mobile handsets and improve the clarity of conference and hands-free calls, the echo-canceling technology is enabled by LifeVibes Voice software from Royal Philips Electronics.

"Superior audio performance is fundamental to consumer approval and the deployment of echo-cancellation technology on QUALCOMM chipsets will dramatically improve voice communications in even the noisiest environments," said Mark Frankel, vice president of product management for QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies. "We are excited that our work with Philips will enable our partners to offer handsets with enhanced acoustic performance to their customers."

"LifeVibes Voice products are a pioneering technology and the result of decades of audio and acoustic research," said Cees Geel, senior director of marketing and sales for Philips Software. "The availability of LifeVibes Voice products on QUALCOMM chipsets brings a new level of mobility and sound quality to mobile handset users and enriches the user experience in a very tangible way."

Echo-canceling sound enhancement technology enables users to make clear and full-duplex conference, videoconference and hands-free calls without audial interference from stationary background noise. QUALCOMM will initially provide support for echo-cancellation software on Enhanced Multimedia Platform MSM6550 and MSM6275 chipsets, both of which are compatible with CDMA2000 and WCDMA (UMTS) networks. Additional acoustic performance improvements to remove background noise using a dual-microphone spatial filter are planned for the Convergence Platform, achieved through the integration of another LifeVibes Voice product, the Noise Void background noise eliminator.