Mobile phone network operator Orange is aiming to improve customer service with the implementation of a speech recognition system.

The move is part of a £100m investment in customer services in the light of increasing criticism from consumer groups about poor service at the company.

Orange added 1,000 call centre agents in the last year and will now upgrade its customer service systems by improving the underlying platforms that route incoming calls.

The firm is integrating its broadband and mobile customer service functions following the rebranding of internet service provider Wanadoo and the introduction of free broadband for higher-spending mobile phone customers.

The improvements include a new call-routing system to ensure customers are quickly connected using voice recognition to identify a specific issue, rather than select from a series of options.

Testing for the new system took place last Christmas when 80,000 calls were handled and rollout will take place in the last quarter of this year.

The new system should improve efficiency by resolving some calls without agent intervention, but the company said the current 6,700 customer service staff will be expanded.