Nokia CEO Conducts World’s First ‘Immersive’ Phone Call

Nokia CEO Pekka Lundmark recently made a phone call using a new technology called “immersive audio and video” that enhances the quality of a call by providing three-dimensional sound, making interactions more realistic. Lundmark expressed excitement about the innovation, stating that they demonstrated the future of voice calls. His involvement in the room during the first 2G call in 1991 showcases his dedication to advancements in communication technology.

At present, smartphone calls are typically monophonic, compressing audio elements to create flat and less detailed sound. However, the new technology introduced by Nokia will enable users to experience 3D audio during calls, providing a more immersive connection with the person on the other end. Jenni Lukander, president of Nokia Technologies, believes this advancement is the most significant development in live voice calling since the introduction of monophonic telephony audio.

The call using the immersive technology was conducted with Stefan Lindström, Finland’s Ambassador of Digitalisation and New Technologies. Lukander mentioned that this technology is now being standardized, allowing network providers, chipset manufacturers, and handset manufacturers to integrate it into their products. Nokia utilized a regular smartphone over a public 5G network for the call, demonstrating its applicability to everyday devices.

In addition to person-to-person immersive calls, this technology can be used for conference calls to separate participant voices based on their spatial locations. Jyri Huopaniemi, head of audio research at Nokia Technologies, explained that most smartphones have at least two microphones, enabling the implementation of this technology to transmit spatial characteristics in real-time. Nokia plans to offer licensing opportunities for this technology, although widespread availability may take a few years as it becomes part of the upcoming 5G Advanced standard.