Push To Talk over cellular (PoC) is not a new concept by any means. The idea to use your mobile phone as a long distance two way radio, is as popular in the US, as texting is here in the UK.
Conventional two way radio, or private mobile radio ( PMR ), is limited in range by various, mainly topographical, factors. Whereas PoC is limited only by the availability of GPRS phone coverage.
It is been said by some phone users that it's just more button pressing and makes the whole process more cumbersome. (A button on the phone must be be pressed whilst talking). Thought about logically, this is the only way the system can be used with multiple users trying to speak at the same time. i.e. whilst one user is talking, all other members of the group are prevented from doing so. The real advantages of PTT are realised when a "group" conversation is needed. Ask any existing two way radio users how useful "open" comms are.
During a PTT call the speech is digitized and sent over the network as GPRS data to the recipient, or more usefully, recipients. So "group" conversations can be held anywhere there is phone coverage.
Push to talk has come and gone here in the UK over the last few years. The facility did not become popular as it is in the US, for a number of reasons.
Latency (delays in the audio through the system).
Lack of publicity (possibly due to the carriers gaining less revenue from the calls?)
Lack of public awareness of the benefits of PTT. (People tend to think of phone calls as they have always been used… 1 to 1).
The fact that the users were tied to using the same network. (I believe this is still the case in the US.)
There is a new initiative in the UK PTT market, spearheaded by a company called Intechnology.
By investing heavily in a number of dedicated PTT servers, they have overcome the main perceived obstacle to a large number of prospective users.
Find more information about this HERE... http://www.intechnology.co.uk/MainPage.aspx?ID=284&Link=How20Works&
The PTT facility is now available "across networks".
All major UK networks are covered, so a T-mobile user in Manchester can converse with Vodafone users in London and Orange users in Cardiff. All connections are seamless and the users are totally unaware of the cross network technology.
The number of users within a group conversation is effectively unlimited.
The system also works internationally as long as the mobile sim has international roaming enabled, albeit at an increased cost, for international data transport.
Also, be warned that this system is NOT a cheaper alternative to standard tariff voice calls. It is a third party add on and they charge a premium for the service. The very least that will be needed is a data enabled sim card, in addition to ongoing payments to the PTT provider.
