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Telecel – Introducing new technology will enable quality similar to fixed network

Telecel will be the first mobile operator using in Portugal, after next month of May, a new technology that enables to obtain in mobile communications, a voice quality similar to the one of the fixed network. It’s the last technological development in terms of voice transmission, known by EFR (Enhanced Full Rate) and applied both in GSM 900 system and in GSM 1800 (formerly known as DCS 1800).

EFR was created from the usage of a new coding algorithm, allowing to process in a more effective way the same amount of sent information, improving quality and reducing noise.

Customer will not incur in cost increase with the introduction of EFR in Telecel network. EFR access only requires mobile telephones prepared to support this technology some of which are already in the market. Its number will increase gradually as they start being marketed by manufacturers

Since January, Telecel has been preparing its network to offer this quality enhancement. Tests made by Ericsson were successful, concluding that there is a significant improvement in voice quality. According to this manufacturer, “in good radio broadcast conditions, voice quality with EFR is comparable or even better to that in wireline network”.