Which xDSL should I use for VideoConferencing ?

ADSL.
The standard broadband used by home users is ADSL, which is “Asymmetric” meaning that the upstream speed is a fraction of the down speed stream. While perfectly adequate for file downloads such as music and software, for emails and for web-browsing it is not as well suited to real time communications, where performance is judged by audio and video quality. Delays, jitter and loss of lip synchronisation is not acceptable, and so a better service is recommended, eg. ADSL-Max or SDSL.

ADSL-Max
In some areas, ADSL-Max is starting to become available, offering much higher downstream speeds (up to 8Mbps) and up to 400 or 800kbps upstream. Initial adopters of these services also gain advantage in that few other users are likely to have subscribed and hence contention levels are currently low (July 2006). An ASDL-Max400 connection will typically support a 256kbps video conference whereas an ADSL-Max800 may support 384kbps with a high degree of reliability. Every site will experience a slightly different level of service, and so we are offering our new users a low-cost trial, with no monthly commitment, so if contention builds over time, through additional customers being added in your local area, you can simply stop using the service and switch to something else. Provided there is availability on your existing line (see availability checker), you have nothing to lose by trying it for a month, other than one months rental.

SDSL
Videoconferencing is two-way and so the quality of the conference will only be as good as the upstream rate available. SDSL is better than ADSL because it is “Symmetric” and more suited to bi-directional communication. However it still may be contended, which means that many other organisations can be sharing the same exchange bandwidth, and that between the exchange and other network nodes. This means the quality of the Video conference is only as good as what other users are doing at the time, which is not under your control, or that of your ISP. Reduced contention (i.e. 1:1 rather than 5:1 or 10:1) means less sharing and better chances of high performance.

Leased Lines & IP-Vision
Short of leasing a private network which is expensive and rarely deployed for the sole purpose of video communication, the most affordable option is IPVision. Available in 512k, 1M and 2M variants in many areas of the UK, Europe and USA, this gives an organisation access to the National Backbone Network without contention and therefore without interference from anyone else. The bandwidth is provided over public networks hence with widespread access but it is operated in a similar way to a private network, where the portion you have purchased is ALL YOURS ! Having subscribed to a monthly fee, you can leave a video conference running all day if you wish, providing a “window to your remote office” and thereby creating a virtual office from two dispersed workgroups.

Why buy Broadband via VideoCentric ?
Standard ADSL and SDSL packages can be purchased through a large number of ISPs, so why buy it through VideoCentric ? The reason is that VideoCentric’s service is different and unique ? We have partnered with the providers of the standard packages but added the bits that are important to real-time voice and video communications. Unlike ordinary ISPs who provide bandwidth primarily for file downloads and for email and web-browsing, VideoCentric’s service is provided with videoconferencing, streaming and voice-over-IP in mind.

As an independent vendor of the world’s best technology, our customers satisfaction is not only determined by the quality of goods and excellence of service we provide, but by the performance of the communication links between their offices and the homes of their employees. It is in VideoCentric’s interest to guide customers towards a quick and effective solution which not only links two sites on IP for a video conference, but considers how ISDN-based systems will be accessed and how 3rd and 4th parties can be invited into a conference on an ad-hoc basis even if they are only equipped with a simple web-cam solution, or standard mobile phone. Yes our services already include this connectivity !

Bridging the gap to ISDN
Most ordinary ISPs are there simply to provide bandwidth for data-centric applications. VideoCentric can also provide simple bandwidth, and our contended ADSL and SDSL services are there to do just that. However, VideoCentric recognises that for videoconferencing, most systems deployed in the world today are connected to ISDN networks. To bridge the gap, you need a Gateway which can transcode different speeds, different audio and video standards and allow for dial-in as well as dial out. To purchase a gateway can cost many 10’s of thousands of pounds and so many of VideoCentric’s services now INCLUDE access to a shared gateway which bridges the gap between H.320 ISDN and H.323 Video-over-IP. In future this may also include SIP and 3G as chargeable options.

Multiparty conferences
Video-over-IP is generally more “Ad-Hoc” in nature than ISDN videoconferencing. A user’s requirement to bring in a 3rd or 4th party, a home user or a mobile phone user, is often not planned but spurious. To purchase a MultiPoint Bridge with all its advanced features is a major investment even for large organisations and is often out of the question for SOHO environments, and so access to a shared and powerful MCU bridge, is highly desirable, provided monthly costs are reasonable. VideoCentric charges a flat fee per month which is within the budget range of most home users, let alone businesses. Our un-contended IP-Vision service now includes such access as part of the package.

Availability Checker
By providing VideoCentric a list of post codes or phone numbers of the sites you wish to connect, we can quickly reply with availability and pricing of our added value bandwidth services. Depending on the equipment at the telephone exchange serving your site and the distance between the two we will advise as to which service can be provided, whether we need to install a new phone line or not, and the costs and timescale's for implementation. Either way, we look after the complete solution for you. All we need is the post code or phone number and we’ll give you all the options available including “break-out to ISDN” and MultiPoint Conferencing. At the time of writing (July 2006) this service is simply not available from anyone else !

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IP Installation & Monthly Charges
Depending upon availability in your area (see availability checker), VideoCentric will price all available options, selected from:-

ADSL for home
ADSL-Max400 for small office, home office (SOHO)
ASDL-Max800 for small business

SDSL with 10:1 contention
SDSL with 5:1 contention
SDSL with 1:1 contention
IPVision-SDSL with 1:1 contention with hi-reliability

Our pricing will include:
• Use of your existing telephone line for ADSL
• Supply of a new telephone line for SDSL
• Supply of an appropriate DSL router for ADSL or SDSL
• Options for different bandwidths available (remember videoconferencing is only as good as the upstream speed)
• Option for ISDN gateway access (in and out) for worldwide H.320 communication and POTS/Mobile
• Option for MultiPoint conferencing through a shared bridge

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Equipment hosting (rack-space)
Customers purchasing their own networking devices such as MCU's and Gateways need space to house them. But often space is not enough, consider the bandwidth required specifically to operate that equipment, the environmental conditions (air conditioning, dust-free, fire protected, high-security), power supply security (battery & diesel generator back up). VideoCentric can supply you with just 1U rack space, 5U, half a rack or a full rack through our partnership with the Thames Valley Data Centre.

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Bandwidth hosting (UK backbone)
Putting equipment on to a network is one thing, but minimising contention, congestion and actually having enough real time bandwidth is another. VideoCentric’s bandwidth provider at the Thames Valley Data Centre connects directly to the National Backbone Network and can guarantee unrivalled levels of service through its SLA.

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Education peering (Super JANET)
Thames Valley Data Centre is peered on to the UKERNA Super JANET backbone network as used by most Universities and many Colleges and Schools in the UK. It means that any organisation connected with such establishments will enjoy less contention and therefore greater performance than when attempting to access through traditional internet routes.

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Video-over-IP Theory Training
VideoCentric staff have trained end-customers, competitive resellers, system integrators and even some of its own manufacturers in the theory behind H.323 real time communications. As rich media conferencing becomes more widespread through the availability of IP bandwidth, other organisations, traditionally working in the data or voice markets, are going to need to understand more about H.323 gatekeeper theory and how it enables more than just IP videoconferencing. Interfacing with Cisco Skinny Protocol (SCCP), 3G networks and other H.324 mobile solutions as well as the Plain Old Telephony System (POTS) we have known for the last 100 years, will become critical to ongoing business strategy. Companies who have already taken such theory training very seriously include Nortel, Siemens, Cisco, Avaya, Microsoft, Mitel, Ericsson and Alcatel, and now it is the turn of voice and data integration companies to look at how video will impact them as real time multimedia communications takes hold at the desktop, in the conference room and on the hand-held mobile device.

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Video-Network Design Consultancy (including voice and 3G)
There are four approaches to designing a real-time video-enabled network:-

1) The ad-hoc, piecemeal approach, where the network evolves without real thought or planning. This approach is ok when connecting just two or three offices over a public broadband network, but what about adding in web-cam users at home, what about the implications of firewall's, bandwidth management and priority of traffic, to avoid impact on data and voice communication ?

2) The “data-first” approach where adding a couple of video-enabled systems to an existing data network might seem to be quick and inexpensive and indeed for trailing a system it is. But consider the longer term impact. Real time communication is bandwidth intensive and bi-directional and unlike data traffic, needs priority on a per-packet basis. A two-way conference may still be simple and manageable where an organisation has say, a 2Mbps link, but what happens when you want to invite another remote employee into your conference or involve an important customer for a brief discussion ? This is the point at which your multiparty conference unit (MCU bridge) needs to join the call creating a bandwidth bottleneck in need of careful management. Having this bridge in the right location, or sharing one on the IP-Vision public network, is a decision that needs to be made at the outset as this will shape the topology of your video network for the future and ultimately the efficiency of your overall company’s communication as the boundary between data, voice and video starts to blur. Sometimes it is better to leave the non-real-time network alone and create an overlay video network which can link to the data network, in other cases it is prudent to integrate them from the start.

3) The “voice-first” approach where an organisation’s aging telephony system is about to be replaced. Voice-over-IP is now commonplace for those looking for “free” telephony between their sites and employees, but the implementation of such a solution is usually carefully considered, well planned, and regarded as “mission critical”. Cutting over from an old telephone system to a new one must happen seamlessly otherwise the communication of an entire company can be put at risk with all the undesirable consequences. However, most voice-over-IP companies have come from the world of circuit-switched telecommunications and are not necessarily best qualified to advice on how to provision for rich media (video, data, voice and control) and how to ensure that the new network will interface seamlessly with existing ISDN video, POTS telephony and new 3G, SIP and Cisco SCCP networks. VideoCentric has partnered with experts in this field to ensure that “voice first” can also mean “video next”.

4) The “video first” approach. Few organisations would consider video above data or voice communication upon which they already depend. But those designing a “green-field” network from scratch do have the opportunity to consider everything. By considering video first, you provision
(a) for adequate bandwidth,
(b) for an efficient topology,
(c) for maximising the business benefits of real-time IP communication,
(d) for interfacing with legacy systems,
(e) for interoperability with evolving networks,
(f) for accessing all your remote staff, suppliers and customers in the future, and
(g) for a budget that not only looks at the initial implementation cost, but at ongoing maintenance and well planned evolution
(h) for reducing travel and accommodation budgets
(i) for improving business efficiency

Think about which approach your organisation is likely to take if you do nothing. Then think about which approach you would ideally like them to take to get things right and be more competitive in the future. We strongly suggest that you don’t just leave it to “chance”. Instead, invest in some expert technical design consultancy to take a look at how rich media integration should be deployed in your organisation over the next 1-5 years. Initial consultation costs nothing and from it we can obtain a full understanding of your likely needs, which may lead on to the preparation of a detailed bespoke report for your management team’s consideration, and probably lead to change in the way you do business and the way you communicate with remote sites for ever. It’s worth getting right !

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