XConnect announces a trial of the first IP peering federation specifically for service providers capable of offering high-definition voice services. The trial, open to qualified operators, waives sign-up and monthly fees for its April-June duration. Multiple providers using the G.722 wideband codec will be able to test the interoperability, scalable interconnection, reliability and support of XConnect federation services.

High-definition voice is being adopted increasingly by fixed, mobile and Web 2.0 telecom service providers, as it delivers a much richer audio experience than the PSTN makes possible. Using wideband codecs, HD achieves a wider frequency range, providing almost the clarity of face-to-face conversation.

However, for HD to work across networks, the entire call path and endpoints themselves must support high definition. XConnect is responding to service providers’ need for a simple way to address the significant challenges of meeting this requirement.

Trial participants will form a private peering community under the Private Alliance feature of XConnect’s Global Alliance, which combines ENUM-registry and multimedia interconnection hub services. Supporting multiple protocols and codecs, the Global Alliance enables new IP services, including HD voice, to be delivered across networks.