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Orange opens up access to High Definition Voice for its customers


WEBWIRE

Paris - A pioneer and leader for High Definition Voice and the only global operator to offer HD Voice on its mobile and fixed networks, Orange is continuing to move forward with its strategy to open up access to HD Voice, making it the standard for future communications, on both fixed and mobile.


Genuine comfort for the quality of voice communications
HD Voice delivers better audio quality, ensuring real satisfaction for Orange customers, in terms of both fixed and mobile. This is reflected in a feeling of closeness, as well as a clearer, richer and more natural sound, an effective adaptation to noisy environments through significant background noise reduction, and a good understanding of conversations, even when whispered.

Orange’s ambition is to open up the use of HD Voice communications by 2013
Almost one million customers have already adopted mobile HD Voice, and further launches are planned for 2011, particularly in the Africa, Middle East and Asia (AMEA) region:
in June: in the Dominican Republic and Uganda
between now and the end of 2011: Switzerland and three countries in the AMEA region will also be launching this service, taking the number of countries that have adopted mobile HD Voice up to 16.

For reference, Orange already offers mobile HD Voice in the following 10 countries: Moldova, Armenia, Belgium, France (mainland France and Reunion), Spain (Catalonia), the UK, Egypt (Cairo), Luxembourg, Mauritius and Romania.

With one million Orange customers to date, mobile HD Voice with Orange has been an outstanding commercial success, thanks to its wide range of compatible mobiles (over 20 references).

Orange is launching fixed HD Voice in Spain, Poland and Tunisia in 2011.
Other countries are also showing a significant interest in launching this service in 2012. To date, fixed HD Voice already has 800,000 customers.


Exclusively with Orange, the Samsung SMT W3510, the first high definition voice fixed phone

In a few days time, Orange will be releasing the very first fixed HD phone incorporating version 2 of “CAT-IQ”, which is replacing the “DECT” standard. The Samsung SMT W3510 offers excellent acoustic quality and is very easy to use, thanks to its highly user-friendly interface. It will further strengthen the range offered by Orange: five fixed HD handsets from four different manufacturers - Sagem, Alcatel, Thomson and Samsung.


More interoperability: moving towards a “seamless” high definition voice service
In order to offer “seamless” HD Voice for its customers, Orange is preparing for the next major steps:
- in 2012/2013, HD Voice interoperability between Orange countries and also between the fixed and mobile networks in a given country.


- in 2013, interoperability between the various operators, based on common standards, such as CAT-IQ 2.0 for fixed HD Voice or WB-AMR for mobile HD Voice.
- Lastly, Orange is looking into launching HD Voice on the 2G networks, which would make it possible to offer this service to even more customers.


To hear the difference between standard and high definition voice:
www.orange.com/hdvoice

About Orange
France Telecom-Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with 170,000 employees worldwide, including 102,000 employees in France, and sales of 11.2 billion euros in the first quarter 2011. Present in 35 countries, the Group had a customer base of 215.9 million customers at 31 March 2011, including 141.6 million customers under the Orange brand, the Group’s single brand for internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the company operates. At 31 March 2011, the Group had 156.7 million mobile customers and 13.9 million broadband internet (ADSL, fibre) customers worldwide. Orange is one of the main European operators for mobile and broadband internet services and, under the brand Orange Business Services, is one of the world leaders in providing telecommunication services to multinational companies.

With its industrial project, “conquests 2015”, Orange is simultaneously addressing its employees, customers and shareholders, as well as the society in which the company operates, through a concrete set of action plans. These commitments are expressed through a new vision of human resources for employees; through the deployment of a network infrastructure upon which the Group will build its future growth; through the Group’s ambition to offer a superior customer experience thanks in particular to improved quality of service; and through the acceleration of international development

France Telecom (NYSE:FTE) is listed on Euronext Paris (compartment A) and on the New York Stock Exchange.
For more information (on the internet and on your mobile): www.orange.com, www.orange-business.com, www.orange-innovation.tv
Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Brand Services Limited, Orange France or France Telecom.



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