The Nortel SoundBeam was a pioneering wireless telephony concept developed in 1995 by Bell-Northern Research (BNR), Nortel’s R&D division in Ottawa, Canada. It wasn’t a mobile phone, but rather a “wearable audio apparatus” a new product category that BNR designers called a neckset.
Designed to deliver hands-free convenience with headset-like privacy, the SoundBeam featured advanced directional loudspeakers that projected sound upward toward the user’s ears, while minimizing sound leakage to others nearby. This created a unique “personal audio bubble”, allowing users to hear their calls clearly without disturbing those around them.
The device operated via a 900 MHz radio transceiver, which connected wirelessly to a base unit tied to a standard landline. (In today’s terms, it would likely have used Bluetooth.) Its directional microphone, positioned just below the mouth, ensured clear voice pickup while reducing background noise and reverberation a significant improvement over traditional speakerphones.
SoundBeam made its public debut at Telecom ’95, in Nortel’s BNR Futures exhibit.
Approximately 500 units were produced for market trials.
Following its unveiling, BNR launched a large-scale market trial to assess both the technology and user acceptance. More than 500 participants from enterprise, small business, and residential environments tested the device. Feedback was largely positive: users appreciated the private audio experience and mobility, especially in open-concept office settings where traditional speakerphones caused disruptions.
Some participants were initially hesitant about wearing such an unconventional-looking device, but many developed what BNR staff affectionately called the “gotta have it” response refusing to return their SoundBeam units when the trial ended.
Despite encouraging trial results, Nortel ultimately chose not to commercialize the SoundBeam. Shortly afterward, the company withdrew from the consumer telephone and mobile device markets entirely.
A U.S. patent covering the SoundBeam’s directional loudspeaker technology was later acquired by Microsoft. Today, the SoundBeam remains a fascinating glimpse into Nortel’s spirit of innovation an early exploration of wearable communication long before Bluetooth headsets and smart devices became mainstream.
Prototype Nortel SoundBeam “neckset,” developed by Bell-Northern Research in 1995. A wearable hands-free telephony device using directional sound for private listening. telephony, it was decades ahead of modern Bluetooth headsets.
Timeline
- 1995: The secret wireless neckset project is finalized inside Bell-Northern Research (BNR) labs and makes its public debut at the Telecom ’95 convention, demonstrating a “private sonic bubble” concept using upward firing micro-speakers.
- September 1995: Application No. 44,661 is officially logged with the USPTO, listing Clifford Dean Read as the leading designer alongside colleagues Pak Joug Chu and Andre John Van Schyndel.
- 1995–1996: Nortel deploys a strict run of ~500 prototype sets to executive teams and choice telecommunication trial sites globally for real-world validation.
- 1998: The United States Patent Office officially releases and prints Des. 395,653, preserving the exact dimensional geometry of the SoundBeam form factor.
Concept Drawings
Cliff Read signing prototype SoundBeam.
USA Patent Award Plaque dated September 29th 1998 added to Collection.
The BNR Innovation Soundwear team was the research and development group at Bell Northern Research (BNR) the R&D arm of Nortel in Ottawa, Canada. In 1995, they pioneered a wearable, personal “neckset” audio apparatus called the Nortel SoundBeam. This device featured highly directional loudspeakers that provided the user with a private audio experience.
This award recognizes an “outstanding contribution in the Innovation Category.” This division at Bell Northern Research (BNR) developed the Nortel SoundBeam, a wireless, wearable “neckset” audio device pioneered during 1995 and 1996. Clifford Read was a key designer working under John Tyson within the acclaimed BNR Design Interpretive group in Ottawa.
Cliff Read in a anechoic chamber.
The concept for a wearable neckset dates back to 1983, conceived by Jim Bee, one of Northern Electric first industrial designers. Working within BNR’s design labs, Bee explored ideas for next-generation integrated voice and data terminals, sketching early concepts for a personal, wearable communication device.
Several of Jim Bee’s original sketches illustrating the SoundBeam’s envisioned functionality and form.
Pictures below are part of the Canadian Ingenium Collection
The Mobile Phone Museum in the U.K. also has a SoundBeam in its collection.