New mobile telephone service launched
Audacious, a new UK mobile phone network, has launched in the UK. The Company say they are on a mission to make calls clearer, using a world-first medically certified technology developed to personalise mobile calls based on your unique hearing profile, enabling people to get the most out of their calls. Audacious is aimed at helping anyone who experiences difficulty hearing calls on their mobile. Whether because you’re in a crowded place or because of hearing ability.
In a survey of 2,007 British adults conducted by Opinium in July 2019, almost a quarter (23%) report avoiding answering the phone altogether*, due to their concerns of not hearing the person on the other end, leading to a widespread ‘Phone Fear’ and the phenomenon is leading to one in five (17%) Brits experiencing feelings of isolation as a result*.
The poll revealed a widespread lack of understanding of hearing health in the UK as more than half (55%) of British adults surveyed reported having either never having had a hearing test or can’t remember the last time they did1. In comparison, nearly two thirds (61%) had taken an eyesight test in the last year*. This is in spite of Action on Hearing Loss data revealing that over 11 million across the UK are living with hearing loss**.
Anyone can visit the Audacious website and take a quick, commitment-free sound check to receive their own personal hearing profile. Customers can then order a personalised SIM card tailored to the individual way they hear. There is no need for users to upgrade or replace their handset, instead, they simply swap their existing SIM card with a new Audacious one.
Audacious works exactly how your current mobile service does, with minutes, texts and data but importantly makes your calls clearer too. Contracts will be rolling on a flexible 30-day basis, which allow users the freedom to leave at any time. Prices will range from £14 per month for 2GB of data to £24 a month for 10GB of data and all tariffs will come with unlimited texts and minutes.
Audacious was founded by Matthew Turner, who has had moderate to severe hearing loss his whole life. Matthew set up the network in response to the lack of support provided to him and many others by the telecoms networks.
Audacious Founder, Matthew Turner said: “Having lived with moderate to severe hearing loss since birth, I am fully aware of the emotional impact millions of people are experiencing as they struggle daily to communicate using the mobile phone. It was a real struggle to talk on the phone and it had a negative impact on both my personal and professional life. As no mobile operator was offering or appeared to be working towards a solution to this global challenge, I made it my personal mission to develop the technology that could tailor phone calls to individual hearing loss or needs and so empower people across the UK to have better clearer conversations.”
Hearing Scientist, University of Cambridge, Professor Brian Moore who has worked on developing Audacious said: “Holding a telephone at the entrance to the ear canal can make it difficult to understand what is being said for people who wear behind-the-ear hearing aids. Audacious replaces the function of the hearing aid by including signal processing to compensate for hearing loss in the mobile network. The processing is also tailored to the individual hearing ability of the user, by means of an initial hearing test that is used to set up a personal hearing profile. This can improve intelligibility and make it easier to understand the person on the other end.”
Former England Rugby player Ben Cohen MBE who experiences hearing loss said: “I’ve never let my hearing loss hold me back, whether playing sport at an international level or learning to ballroom dance. The one thing I find hard though is missing out on interactions with loved ones. I travel a lot and while text or email is great you can’t beat hearing the sound of someone’s voice. Audacious is a game-changer as it means I can hear about my children’s day wherever I am”
Audacious CEO, Rob Shardlow said: “The beauty of Audacious is in its simplicity, you don’t need to change your mobile phone or add any accessories, simply do the quick, free online soundcheck to find out how you hear, receive your personalised hearing profile and then order your customised Audacious SIM card that works for how YOU hear.”
For more information about Audacious, or to take your own free, simple soundcheck and receive your personal hearing profile, visit: https://www.audacious.co.uk
* Opimium survey of 2,007 British adults conducted by Opinium in July 2019
** Action on Hearing Loss Hearing Matters Report 2015