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Overview:

* Available only on Android devices for now, the codec known as Lyra can compress data more effectively, improving voice transmission quality between users.

* Still in testing, the tool uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to better understand the characteristics of each language and regional accents. That makes it possible to send higher-quality data even on unstable networks.

* Beyond Google, Facebook has also invested in developing a new library. Built on the WebRTC API, Rsys was created to improve audio and video transmission across its apps: Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

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With the goal of improving the quality of its communication services even further, Google continues to develop new infrastructure solutions.

Now, the company announced Lyra, a codec that uses artificial intelligence to improve voice call quality on low-speed networks, such as 2G.

From now on, the promise is that data compression in Android app calls can avoid interruptions and audio dropouts on 2G networks and other networks that show instability during a call.

According to Google, using machine learning, Lyra was trained on thousands of hours of data so it can differentiate and adapt across 70 different languages.

With the technology, it’s possible to identify the language in use and ensure lightweight and effective audio compression for apps.

The company also says the codec works by slicing and sending data to another device every 40 milliseconds, making the call lighter. Because it is such an agile technology, users do not perceive these slices during the conversation.

The comparison below shows a graph of audio quality between older codecs (Opus and Speex) and the new codec (Lyra).

(Photo: Google/Disclosure)

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Google also says that using the codec together with new video compression technologies such as AV1 could make video chats possible even for users on dial-up internet (56 Kbps).

Even though it is promising, the technology is currently available only for Android users of Google Duo. The company may also add the codec to other services such as Google Meet, but there is no official timeline yet.

According to the announcement, Lyra is in a testing phase mainly for users in rural areas, where connection speeds are lower.

The company also states that users on 4G may notice a difference in call quality as well, since a large number of users connected at the same time can cause interference.

Communication apps have received more investment in recent months

In recent months, a wave of significant updates in communication apps has caught experts’ attention.

Recently, Facebook developed a new WebRTC library to improve transmission quality across its apps such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Called Rsys Library, the project is built on the already well-known WebRTC API.

According to Facebook, the goal is to improve voice and video call quality by compressing data even more, making the process lighter—especially for people using mobile networks or with limited data packages.

Because the previous library consumed a lot of memory and device capacity, the company says a complete redesign was necessary. This made it easier to develop with the API and enabled new evolution in the app market.

A major example is the rollout of voice and video calling for WhatsApp Web users. Still available only to a small number of users, there is no information yet on when the update will be officially released.

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