Standards

Noisy environments wreak havoc with voice quality. And while several products on the market can handle low levels of stationary noise, they are not robust enough to suppress non-stationary noise. Carriers are coming to understand the difference and are putting standards in place to test the performance of products for non-stationary noise.

Audience worked closely with several leading mobile carriers and handset vendors to ratify a new standard for subjective testing of non-stationary noise suppressors, and in October 2007, the ITU-T standardization committee approved Amendment 1 Appendix III of the P.835 standard. While the original P.835 standard recommended a test methodology for stationary noise testing, the new amendment enhances the standard by adding comprehensive test methodology for non-stationary noise.

The amendment recommends test conditions for emulating real world conditions of multiple, moving non-stationary noise sources. This amendment is a major step in helping the mobile industry demand and ensures higher voice quality in real world environments. Mobile carriers, handset suppliers, and component vendors will all benefit from a common way of testing and measuring performance in these noisy conditions.