Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the status of this project?
- We have a Broadband Phone on every desk of our Cambridge lab, and
these will soon completely replace our old internal phone system. This
is part of a substantial trial which has proved to be an encouraging
demonstration of the system's robustness and reliability.
- Can I buy one?
- Not yet. Plans for the commercialisation of the Broadband
Phone are still embryonic, so we are not currently specifying any
release dates, prices, or the exact form the technology will take.
Watch this space!
- Who will provide the services?
- There are many models that could be used here. The phone could be
used as a replacement for your company's internal phone system, in
which case your IT department might provide custom services. Some
applications might be provided by third-party ASPs. Others, perhaps,
by your cable or phone service provider. We have been careful to
structure the technology so that these decisions can be based on the
business model and the network capacity, rather than being prescribed by
the architecture.
- How much bandwidth is needed?
- That depends entirely on the services being offered. For simple
dialling, address book access, etc., modem speeds are sufficient. For
live video or graphic-intensive applications, something in the region
of 0.5-1.5 Mbit/s is more appropriate. However, we are assuming an
always-on connection, so we are targetting this towards cable modems,
xDSL lines and in-house networks rather than conventional phone lines.
- Could you make a mobile version?
- As the higher-speed mobile networks become available, this should
be possible. We have a working prototype which uses an 802.11 wireless
network to allow cordless roaming around our building.
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