Push to Talk

[vodacom3g]

Would you use PTT?

Alchamy raised this in another thread but it would be nice to get general forum feedback.

Push to Talk (PTT) is a system where you use you're mobile like a two way radio. You send a voice message to the other party who them can reply by sending a voice message back to you. So it's not interactive voice calling but rather 'half-duplex voice'.

Technically it's not a Circuit Switched voice call but goes over the data network.

Typical applications would in the traditional 2-way radio market.

Would you, and if so, how would you use such a service?

 

[caspa]

V3G.

My mates and i are currently using software on our phones called Visual comunicator (www.sapio.se). Its pretty basic but i could not find the orginal nokia PTT download anywhere. Nokia must have made a deal with you guys, MTN and cell c to stop it being installed on the SA phones, because the same phones overseas come with PTT installed. However i am able to communicate to a few friends in the UK and USA using the basic half duplex Software.

Skype should be releasing Skype for symbian any day now, which will start the VOIP for cell phone revolution.

Caspa

 

[magus]

Alchamy raised this in another thread but it would be nice to get general forum feedback.

Push to Talk (PTT) is a system where you use you're mobile like a two way radio. You send a voice message to the other party who them can reply by sending a voice message back to you. So it's not interactive voice calling but rather 'half-duplex voice'.

Technically it's not a Circuit Switched voice call but goes over the data network.

Typical applications would in the traditional 2-way radio market.

Would you, and if so, how would you use such a service?

Whether I would use it and how would depend on (a) the cost, and (b) the dynamics.

For example, I recently travelled through Botswana in a convoy of 3 vehicles. We used 2-way radios to stay in touch in case of emergencies (especially in the rear vehicle) but also to warn of road hazards (such as speed traps) or sights worth seeing. We could have used cellphones, but that is expensive but more importantly (for urgent communications) too slow to establish a connection.

If the cost were attractive, I could see using it as a 'second-class' cellphone call, perhaps just to convey a one-way message, such as 'Please come and bail me out'.

Hope this helps.

 

[alchamy]

Well it goes without saying that I'm all for PTT, It beats the hell out of an SMS, and the cost should be less If we are using a data bearer and a 30sec clip is about 25kb (depending on quality settings) the cost will be a fraction of sms costs, Granted that it will prob be a premium service and not billed at regular data rates since Vodacom will need ROI. It will still need to be cheaper than SMS to be attractive to most customers. Follow this link to get an idea of international pricing. http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,60554,00.html

Although it cannot be compared to a Carrier switched voice call it does offer one major advantage which is group calling.

ATM i do no think there will be a huge market swing but by 2006 im sure there will be mass-production of PTT units.

A major concern is obviously latency, but as we see more 3G/Edge units being made available this will become much less of an issue.

Nokia News: http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,8764,46740,00.html

 

[caspa]

Alchamy.... excuse my ignorance but how would the bill you for a premium service??? Data is data, if you send a picture or a voice clip there should be no difference.

 

[caspa]

Check these sites out....(www.sapio.se)....(www.agilemobile.com)

 

[alchamy]

Alchamy.... excuse my ignorance but how would the bill you for a premium service??? Data is data, if you send a picture or a voice clip there should be no difference.

I totally agree that data is data, unfortunately SA Providers do not reason this way, for eg SMS via GPRS is blocked in SA and MMS is charged at premium rates.

I would think that a fair pricing model would be a monthly service subscription and billing of data usage. Perhaps with Vodafones influence we might see favourable pricing for the service.

 

[briantw]

For me, it depends on those factors already mentioned above. I do use two-way radios at my workplace, and the advantages are:

a) free once you have the equipment
b) instant connection - sometimes my colleagues are out of range and it takes forever to call or SMS. SMS also doesn't always go through immediately.

So, in keeping with the above, PTT needs to be

a) cheap if not free
b) it must be quick and easy to send the message. 'push-to-talk' sounds attractive, but it can't be so simple, since you have to identify your recipient?

 

[alchamy]

So, in keeping with the above, PTT needs to be

a) cheap if not free
b) it must be quick and easy to send the message. 'push-to-talk' sounds attractive, but it can't be so simple, since you have to identify your recipient?

I have to agree with the point that it must be cheap, we also make use of 2-way radios at work, they are incredibly usefull for our IT department, keeps us in touch no matter where we are, the main problem is that we tend to be running around constantly, if we are not in a meeting we are stuck in a server room somewhere trying to sort out some or other nightmare. The radios give us a cheap/free way to contact each other quickly without having to figure out where someone is. This makes life a lot easier when your trying to track down one of the technicians.

The advantage of PTT is that it would be one less device to carry and you could listen to a message at a later stage if needed (certain phones only)

PTT can be configured to work the same way a radio would. You can create groups with PTT, that way all you do is push the PTT button, usually on the side of a phone and the message will be sent to the group.

V3G, perhaps you could comment on possible pricing model. It would be nice if we could pay a monthly fee for unlimited messages.

 

[vodacom3g]

I've asked the product guys for their feedback on pricing models. Could be that it's a monthly fee like Blackberry or usage rate based.

Would you use PTT-enabled handsets or one of the freeware clients described in this thread?

 

[alchamy]

Native phone support would be preferable and would definately become a deciding factor in future phone purchases, however 3rd party applications would be acceptable until more phones support PTT.

I currently own a 6260 so I already have hardware support but there are a few people I know without native support and im sure they would use 3rd party apps.

 

[gljackson]

When I live in the States we used PTT constantly, I very rarely actually made a call, and almost never sent an sms.

It was also far cheaper than actually calling somebody.

 

[caspa]

The third party applications just arnt the same as the origional handset PTT software (Nokia)

 

[Diago]

After reading this and finally understanding what PTT is, one or two questions ?

I assume if it is on mobile it will work across the cellphone network rather then short close range distances ? Also how would this affect international usage ?

Stupid questions maybe but trying to learn here

 

[ScrnScrm]

used PTT alot in the USA. its great technology - i would definately use it. But it would have to free (like in the USA) or charged at GPRS rates. Otherwise I wouldnt be rsed. Rather make a phone call...

 

[alchamy]

I assume if it is on mobile it will work across the cellphone network rather then short close range distances ? Also how would this affect international usage ?

Transmissions are data switched, Vodacom will host a central server which distributes the messages to users/groups.

V3G could probably comment on the International aspect but I would assume that the problem would be similar to interconnections since Vodacom will need to forward the message outside their network and to another server.

So although data is data an additional cost would be incurred for the "interconnect". Well at least thats how I would imagine it works. BUT this fee should be tiny considering that international smses are only marginally more expensive than local (a recent trend, they used to cost the same)

If vodacom follows a monthly pricing structure they could offer International subs, eg if you know that you will be using PTT to communicate with someone in england then you could stack a "england" subscription ontop of your regular PTT subs.

I maintain that the best way for Vodacom to attract customers is to charge a nominal monthly fee and bill users for the data. BUT the subs must be attractive to everyone. Not sure how they would manage prepaid users in this aspect though.

 

[caspa]

Diago,
1. yes it works over the cellphone network. You push a button to record +- 30 seconds of speach, which is then transfered over the GPRS network to who ever is connected to you, be it a person or a group. The other person would then reply to in the same way........

2. At the moment if you use it localy or inernationaly there is no diffrence, but as ALCHAMY pointed out, it wont be long before the networks start charging exobitant prices for a simple service.

 

[Diago]

Thanks for the info Alchamy and Caspa. I think I get the idea and yes if affordable something I would use. There is practical application where currently a phone call doesn't make any real sense.

 

[magus]

What would the latency be? How long betweeen my finishing speaking and the recipient hearing it? With 2 way radio it is immediate.

 

[vodacom3g]

Should not be more than a few seconds.