After a trial in June, Orange has officially launched High Definition or HD mobile phone calls nationwide.

Using new technology, the quality of calls can now be enhanced considerably. In fact the frequency range has doubled, and without affecting network performance.

Tom Alexander, Chief Executive of Everything Everywhere, the company which now operates Orange UK, said: “Although what we use our mobile handsets for has evolved significantly in the past few years, the way we make mobile calls hasn’t changed a great deal since the 1990s.

“We’re offering customers a revolutionary new calling experience.”

Orange’s trial follows a similar one carried out by Three UK who did so in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

The idea behind the technology is to encode speech and enhance the clarity by isolating or filtering out background noise.

While customers will welcome this new benefit, commentators have pointed out that only the latest handsets have the facility to use HD call technology.

A number of companies however have already started installing the new software into their handsets. These include the Nokia 5230, Nokia X6, Nokia E5 and Samsung Omnia Pro.

Although HD mobile calls will enhance the quality of conversations – some say it sounds as if the person is next to them – the new technology does not address the problem of mobile phone reception.

As such, it is likely to be some time before the whole of the UK is covered.