World-first technology developed by Manx Telecom in the island is powering the launch of a new mobile network which is being hailed as the first of its kind in the UK.

The ’Audacious’ network, launched last week, uses the world’s first medically certified technology to personalise mobile calls based on the user’s hearing profile.

It provides a so-called ’solution’ for users with a range of hearing needs, but also has the potential to help those who struggle with sound quality on their mobile and find phone calls stressful.

Audacious is endorsed by Ben Cohen MBE, the former England rugby union international and 2003 world cup winner, who experiences hearing loss.

He also partnered with Kristina Rihanoff in the 2013 BBC series of Strictly Come Dancing.

He 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 are 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.’

The launch of Audacious follows the success of MT clearSound which was launched here in the island last year.

Manx Telecom’s pay monthly mobile customers were the first in the world to use the technology behind Audacious when MT clearSound was launched last September.

The MT clearSound story goes back to 2012 when Goshawk Communications’ founder, Matthew Turner contacted University of Cambridge’s Emeritus Professor Brian Moore who developed the first algorithms to measure someone’s hearing loss over the telephone using a mobile network. Matthew is also the founder of Audacious.

He has suffered moderate to severe hearing loss since birth and made it his personal mission to develop the technology that could tailor phone calls to individual hearing loss or needs and so empower people to have better, clearer conversations.

Goshawk’s technology was later proven in several technical and clinical trials here on the island using Manx Telecom’s world class mobile network, with support from the Isle of Man’s Department of Health and Social Care’s Audiology Services team, the Manx Deaf Society, and the Ideas For Ears social enterprise.

MT clearSound was brought to market by Vannin Ventures (Manx Telecom’s business incubator), and telecoms solutions specialists Partitionware which is also part of the Manx Telecom group. Partitionware developed the Goshawk technology from a proof of concept, allowing it to be deployed on a full mobile network capable of simultaneously enhancing hundreds of mobile calls.

Audacious is only available in the UK and is a paid for service.

MT clearSound is only available in the Isle of Man, and only available to Manx Telecom Pay Monthly mobile customers.

Former rugby union international Ben Cohen, who experiences hearing loss is backing Manx Telecom’s Audacious . Below, in Strictly with Kristina Rihanoff