Ditech Networks' audit results from its Experience Intelligence (EXi) software found serious voice quality issues among 16 major carriers.

The audit report revealed that 16 carriers are not successfully addressing voice quality factors that come into play outside of the network. EXi uses algorithms to identify and isolate non-human sounds from human sounds.

"The main thing we wanted to highlight is there are significant issues on all calls and carriers don't have a way to quantify those problems," said Ken Croley, senior director of marketing at DiTech Networks," Mountain View, CA.

EXi is a software application that is deployed in mobile and VoIP networks on Ditech's hardware platforms. It assesses voice quality, such as the effects of non-human sounds on the in-call user experience. It found that several voice quality issues occur outside the carrier's network.

This is because carriers often use less scientific means to determine customer satisfaction.

"It's the first time those issues had been measured by technology versus consumer polls," Mr. Croley said.

Ditech offers a Voice Quality Assurance service that repairs voice quality problems inside and outside of the network in real-time, for both ends of the call.

Ditech's testing methodology, referred to as the E-Model, provides a new Key Performance Index (KPI) for service providers to track the impact of voice quality on the subscriber's call experience. Combined with existing tests, it provides a more complete view of voice quality.

Mr. Croley said the E-Model is gaining acceptance by carriers.

"Carriers are interested because they get blamed for voice quality factors that are out of their control," he said.

Though the company could not release findings in detail, it said the percentage of substandard calls was startling to its customers. For carriers, eliminating or reducing these problems can favorably impact churn, revenue and customer satisfaction, the company claims.

Making mobile phone calls more clear also increases opportunities for marketers.

"If you can fix those problems and deliver mobile service to a subscriber so they can make calls from any place, then a marketer can take that and offer real differentiation in the marketplace," Mr. Croley said.

"If you're a brand and you're selling via mobile phone and the person you're trying to reach is so frustrated he just turns his phone off, it cuts you off at the most optimum time to market to them," he said.