Fraunhofer IIS has licensed its LC3 software implementation to MediaTek. The leading fabless semiconductor company will soon offer chips equipped with this codec implementation.
LC3 (Low Complexity Communication Codec) is the audio codec for Bluetooth LE Audio. This new audio architecture will enhance the performance of Bluetooth audio products in the future – both for voice calls and for media playback including music.
The LC3 codec, jointly developed by Fraunhofer IIS and Ericsson, provides high voice and audio quality even at low bit rates, thus overcoming major shortcomings of today’s wireless communication platforms. With a complexity that meets the requirements of these platforms, it operates at low latency and with reasonably low memory requirements. Thanks to a reduction of the required bit rate by about 50 percent compared to its predecessor, the SBC codec, LC3 enables energy-saving audio services. This prolongs the battery life of the products or facilitates the creation of smaller devices.
“We are delighted to announce MediaTek as a new licensee of our LC3 implementation,” says Manfred Lutzky, head of the Audio for Communications department at Fraunhofer IIS. “LC3 will make it possible to enjoy super wide band speech quality in VoLTE and VoNR calls with superb power efficiency via Bluetooth headsets. It also takes the music streaming experience with Bluetooth accessories to the next level.”
Header image © Edelweiss – stock.adobe.com / Fraunhofer IIS