Nimbuzz First Customer for GIPS Android HD Codec

The most widely recognized obstacle to mobile VoIP running over cellular data networks is carriers' opposition. Mobile operators don't want to allow services that compete with their lucrative voice minutes businesses to run over their networks, because it means all they'll get paid for is transporting the bits carrying the voice, a far less lucrative business. A less-known obstacle to the service is call quality concerns. Regular voice calls can sound bad enough, but delivering them over a data network not designed with real-time services like voice in mind. A Global IP Solutions (GIPS) answer to the latter problem is now available for Android users.

The solution is the GIPS VoiceEngine Mobile HD voice-capable codec. Codecs compress voice for transmission, and smooth out transmission wrinkles resulting from problems such as jitter, latency and packet loss. An HD voice-capable codec goes one step further, compressing and transmitting a higher range of frequencies than conventional telephones, producing a major increase in audio quality. A mobile HD codec can potentially make voice calls over cellular data networks sound better than landline calls.

While VoiceEngine Mobile codecs have been available on other platforms, they'll be particularly useful to U.S. users on the Android mobile phone platform. VoIP over cellular data has made little headway in the U.S. due to carrier opposition. Although AT&T and Apple said they would allow it, so far it hasn't happened.

But Android might bring better luck. Verizon Wireless recently signed an agreement with Google, developer of the Android operating system. The deal calls for the two to co-develop applications for Android, including Google Voice, and to tightly integrate the applications with the Verizon Wireless network. Google of course is a major promoter of network neutrality principle that calls for network operators, including mobile ones, to allow any application to run across their networks. And Verizon Wireless has for some time been promising to open its network in just such a way.

GIPS also announced that the first customer for the new codec is Netherlands-based Nimbuzz, which provides mobile instant messaging, voice calling and various social networking features for a variety of mobile and desktop platforms.

Comments

[Rick]

I don't think this is a "new codec", rather the first implentation on the new Android; probably their iSAC codec.