As networks expand beyond terrestrial coverage and user expectations continue to rise, reliable, immersive, and efficient audio becomes a decisive factor. Fraunhofer IIS addresses today’s and tomorrow’s communication challenges at MWC Shanghai 2026 – enabling new services, broader coverage, and better user experiences.
Visit us in Hall N2, Booth N2.D82 or take the next step and schedule a meeting in advance to ensure dedicated time for your questions and ideas. Let’s enter a new transformative era of voice and audio communication – together.
Reliable Voice Communication Beyond Terrestrial Networks
Fraunhofer NESC for Non‑Terrestrial Networks (NTN)
Voice services should work wherever people are – even where terrestrial networks end. Fraunhofer NESC is an ultra‑efficient AI‑based voice codec designed for direct‑to‑device satellite communication. It operates at 1 kbit/s or less, ensuring robust voice transmission over GEO, MEO, and LEO constellations.
Main advantages are:
- Reliable voice services in remote or underserved areas
- Viable NTN voice at scale – from emergency calls to satellite telephony
- Audio quality comparable to terrestrial voice services
- Technology ready for commercial deployment by satellite and mobile network operators
NESC helps extend dependable voice coverage to places where traditional networks cannot reach – a key step into a truly connected era.
Immersive Voice Communication for the Next Generation of Calls
IVAS – Immersive Voice and Audio Services
Voice communication is evolving from “good enough” to immersive and natural.
IVAS, the next‑generation 3GPP voice codec, brings spatial realism to mobile communication.
By conveying realistic acoustic scenes – indoors and outdoors, in offices or homes – IVAS enables more engaging and less fatiguing conversations, even in ad‑hoc and multi‑party scenarios.
Key benefits at a glance:
- More realistic and immersive voice calls
- Improved focus and reduced fatigue in meetings and conferences
- Support for smartphones, headphones, car audio systems, soundbars, and XR devices
- Optimized for mobile networks: low delay, high efficiency, low complexity
Building on the widely deployed EVS codec used in VoLTE and VoNR, IVAS is fully backward compatible – making it a seamless evolution toward immersive voice services.
Proven interoperability:
Fraunhofer IIS and Nokia successfully demonstrated the first interoperable IVAS live call over Nokia’s 5G IMS network at MWC Barcelona 2026 – marking a major milestone for next‑generation voice services.
High‑Quality Wireless Audio
LC3plus: Wireless audio should not force compromises
LC3plus addresses the drawbacks of today’s wireless communication platforms.
Running on Bluetooth, DECT, WiFi and VoIP, LC3plus supports a wide range of use cases – from interactive voice to premium audio streaming. At MWC we are showing a seamless, high-definition multi-channel wireless transmission chain with a Bluetooth SoC from our partner Airoha. This highlights how LC3plus can be deployed on a commercial Bluetooth SoC to deliver low‑latency, robust spatial audio under realistic wireless conditions.
Why LC3plus stands out:
- Ultra‑low delay for gaming headsets and interactive systems
- Robust performance for interruption‑free voice communication
- Cross‑platform support for flexible product integration
- Optional Lossless mode for uncompromised wireless Hi‑Fi audio
LC3plus enables premium wireless audio experiences – without sacrificing reliability or responsiveness.
Clear Audio Capture and Enhanced Sound Experiences
upHear Microphone Processing
Excellent voice communication starts with clean audio capture. Fraunhofer upHear Microphone Processing ensures pristine input signals – even in challenging acoustic environments.
AI‑based noise reduction, echo cancellation, voice isolation, and spatial audio recording work directly at the microphone level, delivering clear and intelligible speech for voice calls, conferencing, and immersive communication scenarios.
Core benefits:
- Clear voice capture despite background noise and reverberation
- More natural conversations through precise voice isolation
- Improved call and meeting quality across devices and environments
- Reliable audio input for advanced voice codecs and immersive services
When combined with immersive communication technologies such as IVAS, upHear enables lifelike communication experiences – making conversations sound as natural as being there.
Beyond communication, upHear Live Dialogue Boost improves speech intelligibility without sacrificing overall sound quality: bringing clearer dialogue and immersive sound to movies, sports, and live content. This helps users enjoy content more clearly and comfortably – regardless of their audio setup.
Efficient Audio Streaming and RCS Voice Messaging
xHE‑AAC
xHE‑AAC enables high‑quality audio streaming across devices and network conditions. It delivers consistent sound quality from very low to high bitrates, ensures stable playback with adaptive streaming. It is natively supported in the latest Apple, Android, Amazon and Microsoft Windows 11 operating systems and products.
Key capabilities include:
- Seamless transition between bit rates
- Built‑in loudness control for a balanced listening experience
- Broad device support across major operating systems
As part of the GSMA’s Universal Profile 4.0, the xHE-AAC audio codec extends its reach beyond simple audio messages to enable high-quality media sharing – setting the stage for richer music, advertising, and multimedia experiences in mobile messaging.
Experience Our Technology Live at Mobile World Congress Shanghai
Talk directly with the experts who develop and deploy these technologies and explore concrete use cases tailored to your needs. Visit us in Hall N2, Booth N2.D82 or take the next step and schedule a meeting in advance to ensure dedicated time for your questions and ideas. Let’s enter a new transformative era of voice and audio communication – together.
In addition, Fraunhofer IIS is an official Strategic Partner of the GSMA in 2026, highlighting its active role in shaping next‑generation mobile communication standards. Read all about today’s and tomorrow’s communication challenges in an interview given by Dr. Frederik Nagel, Head of the Audio and Media Technologies Division at Fraunhofer IIS, at MWC (available only in Chinese).