On Mar 30, 2012, at 1:11 PM, Dean Willis wrote: > From today's meeting, taking to list. > > Remote participation for users connecting via the PSTN though gateways into a > VoIP conference platform raises some issues. > > One of these is "registration" . There are hacks like PINs that can be made > to work. > > But to me, the biggest problem is that it is just really hard to make it > work, especially for participants on the fringe of the PSTN. Echo > cancellation may be impossible to provide without exceeding the 150ms latency > interaction/interrupt threshold determined in Brian Rosen's research. > > One doesn't necessarily need "broadband" to use IP. I've talked quite > successfully between participants with EDGE mobile connections. But going > over a long path of telephone network to a PSTN gateway, thence over IP to a > conference platform is a recipe for disaster. > > I therefore propose that our remote participation system neither require nor > support dial-in telephone numbers. This assumption can greatly simplify the > system, reduce operating expense, and reduce the probability of systemic > marginal failure where the system "works" but not well enough to actually use. > > Some argue that this would unfairly exclude people who can't get Internet > connections, but I counter that it's certainly less of an exclusion than > requiring them to physically attend the meeting, and it's far more unfair to > make an IETF meeting fail for these who are actually using the Internet to > participate in it.
I disagree that providing service to people connecting from PSTN or through a gateway from the "wrong" software (like Skype) needs have any effect on the service provided for the other remote. Whatever solution we choose may be blocked by flaky network or corporate firewall. It might require remote participants to take the day off to attend a single meeting. I also disagree with the claim that the 150ms limit applies to IETF WG discussions. These are not equivalent to phone conversations. They are structured and controlled by the chairs. Even the people who are physically present politely wait their turn at the mike. I think the ability to patch in from a PSTN or Skype should be part of the requirements. Yoav _______________________________________________ NOTE WELL: This list operates according to http://mipassoc.org/dkim/ietf-list-rules.html. https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/vmeet
