Video Calling from Home Phones

15th June , 2004

Europe : Telecom Italia is launching a brand-new service today: video calling from home phones. After Aladino – the fixed-line telephone with mobile phone features that sends SMS and MMS messages – Telecom Italia’s next step along the path of technological innovation is set to revolutionize how people use their telephones at home. Starting today, simply by upgrading to a new fixed-line phone, around 20 million Telecom Italia customers will be able to make video calls from their own homes, without any changes to the line, and without any extra devices. Telecom Italia is the first company to bring this brand-new service to market in Italy, and will soon be rolling it out to customers in France and Germany too.

These new video-capable phones use innovative signal compression technologies to provide top-quality video calls for little more than the cost of a standard call. At certain times of day video calls may actually cost less than long-distance voice calls. The videophone benefits from an advanced design. High visibility buttons make it easy to use, while the built-in 4-inch display offers impressive image resolution. The device’s mini-camera is housed just above the screen. Videophones may be rented for a very reasonable monthly fee, or purchased directly from Telecom Italia by calling 187.

The videophone
When designing the videophone with technology partners Hi-Tel of Bologna, Telecom Italia’s top design priority was to make the new device easy to use. It features a small video camera attached to the upper part of the display. The 4-inch screen offers a resolution of 480 x 234 pixels (mobile videophones only offer 176 x 220 pixels), and can handle video at around 15 frames per second, compared with 7 to 8 frames per second on 3G mobile phones. The device can also be used to send and receive SMS text messages. The launch model comes with 10 ringtones (five polyphonic tones) and user-configurable background images. The telephone memory holds up to 60 telephone numbers, 15 of which can be associated with quickcall buttons. By the end of the year videophones will incorporate a SIM card reader for sending MMS messages.

Using the videophone
Videocallers simply plug the videophone into their standard telephone outlet, dial the number as if they were making a traditional phone call, and wait for the other person to pick up. If the video call is accepted, transferring from voice to videophone mode is as simple as pressing a button. The called party’s image will appear on the screen at one of three resolutions, either full screen or alongside the caller’s image in “face-to-face” mode. To ensure privacy, videophones can also be used in voice-only mode: if either of the parties prefers not to transfer from “voice” to “video”, the call continues as a traditional voice call. All customers can upgrade to video calling, including ISDN and ADSL users and customers who have opted to use a competing carrier’s services via preselection.

Video call costs
From the moment the video call goes through, customers pay just six euro cents per minute. Customers are only billed for the actual video call duration. Standard call charges apply before the service switches to video: these charges vary depending on the time of day, call type and the specific price plan that the customer is on.
Video call charges are tallied up in a special entry on each Telecom Italia bi-monthly bill. Videophones may be rented for €3.58 per month (including VAT), or purchased outright for €199 (incl. VAT). A special offer runs throughout the summer, offering two videophones for €299 (incl. VAT). The offer is available from Telecom Italia outlets. Customers interested in rental should call 187.

The videophone’s technological “heart”
The very same innovative compression technique used in 3G mobile phones has been adopted to carry images over traditional “copper pairs”. A processor built into the phone compresses, processes and transmits the data over the standard telephone network. Once the data arrives at its destination, the receiving phone undertakes the same process in reverse. This “technological heart” can process video/voice data at speeds of up to 33.6KB per second, compared with the standard call capacity of approximately 2KB per second.

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