EWG:Draft Oct 26 Voice Terminal Hardware and Software

5-C - Voice Terminal Hardware and Software

This page is the text proposed in the Nov Plenary Meeting.

Go to the Oct 26 Draft of this Provision

Go to the Sandbox of this Provision

Text developed during November plenary:
Terminal hardware or software that is capable of providing voice communications in real-time must comply with the following:

1. Receive only: If hardware or software terminal provides voice conversation over IP in any form, and has a user interface with a multi-line display or a user interface that runs on devices that have a multi-line display, then that terminal must display any real-time text that is received if it is received in the format for the voice and real-time text system being used on the network on which it is installed.

2. Send and Receive: If terminal hardware or software provides voice conversation over IP in any form, and has text generation capability, then the terminal must allow users to send real-time text in the format for the voice and real-time text system being used on the network on which it is installed.

3. If IP terminal hardware or software does not provide real-time text send and receive capability then the terminal must support the addition of terminals and terminal peripheral equipment that do support real-time text functionality in conjunction with the voice call functionality, in the same location and with the same permissions for use as their voice terminal. If the terminal is in a public or shared area and not in an individual's private work area then the connection must be possible [without requiring system-administrator intervention]. Note: the "without system-administrator intervention" is a serious concern due to security issues, but removal would prevent people from connecting devices outside of their home system. Additional work is needed to address this issue.]

4. If terminal is analog or TDM-digital wired terminal then it must support the connection of a TTY via an RJ-11 jack in the same location and with the same permissions for use as the telephone and it must be capable of allowing simultaneous speech and text conversation without interference or its microphone shall be capable of being turned on and off to allow the user to intermix speech with text use.

Note: Provision of the RJ-11 jack may be accomplished through one of the following techniques:

• provision of the RJ-11 jack on the telephone,
• the use of a Y-adapter that allows both the analog telephone and the TTY to be plugged into the same line outlet,
• having built in capability to support an RJ11 module that can provide a connection point for TTYs.

Note: The standard format for PSTN is TIA-825A. For SIP is it XXX. For other voice transport protocols the format is to be determined by the entity responsible for the voice transport protocol. (Need to determine the right word to use "system" vs. "protocol".)

EWG note: Need to be sure 255 is addressed for bullet #3.

Proposed text in Oct 26 draft:
Terminal hardware or software that is capable of providing voice communications in real-time must comply with the following:

1. If hardware or software provides voice conversation over IP in any form, and has a user interface with a multi-line display or runs on devices that have a multi-line display, then terminal must display any real-time text that is received if it is received in the standard real-time text format for that voice transmission format or platform.
2. If terminal hardware or software provides voice conversation over IP in any form, and has text generation capability, then the terminal must allow user to send real-time text in the standard format for that voice transmission format in parallel with the voice.
3. If IP voice terminal hardware or software does not provide real-time text send and receive capability then the terminal must support the addition of terminals and terminal peripheral equipment that do support real-time text functionality in conjunction with the voice call functionality, in the same location and with the same permissions for use as their voice terminal. If the terminal is in a pubic or shared area and not in an individual's private work area then the connection must be possible without requiring system-administrator intervention.
4. If terminal is analog or TDM-digital wired terminal then it must support the connection of a TTY via an RJ-11 jack in the same location and with the same permissions for use as the telephone and it must be capable of allowing simultaneous speech and text conversation without interference or its microphone shall be capable of being turned on and off to allow the user to intermix speech with text use.

Note: Provision of the RJ-11 jack may be accomplished by through one of the following techniques:

• provision of the RJ-11 jack on the telephone,
• the use of a Y-adapter that allows both the analog telephone and the TTY to be plugged into the same line outlet,
• having built in capability to support an RJ11 module that can provide a connection point for TTYs.

Version 2, proposed by ITI:
Terminal hardware or software that is capable of providing voice communications in real-time must comply with the following:

1. If hardware or software provides voice conversation over IP in any form, and has a user interface with a multi-line display or runs on devices that have a multi-line display, then terminal must either display any real-time text that is received if it is received in the standard real-time text format for that voice transmission format or platform; or it must support the addition of a terminal and terminal peripheral equipment that do support real-time text functionality in conjunction with the voice call functionality, in the same location and with the same permissions for use as their voice terminal. In the case of such an addition, if the terminal is in a pubic or shared area and not in an individual's private work area then the connection must be possible without requiring system-administrator intervention.
2. If terminal hardware or software provides voice conversation over IP in any form, and has text generation capability, then the terminal must allow user to send real-time text in the standard format for that voice transmission format in parallel with the voice; or it must support the addition of a terminal and terminal peripheral equipment that do support real-time text functionality in conjunction with the voice call functionality, in the same location and with the same permissions for use as their voice terminal. In the case of such an addition, if the terminal is in a pubic or shared area and not in an individual's private work area then the connection must be possible without requiring system-administrator intervention.
3. (was number 4, old number 3 removed) If terminal is analog or TDM-digital wired terminal then it must support the connection of a TTY via an RJ-11 jack in the same location and with the same permissions for use as the telephone and it must be capable of allowing simultaneous speech and text conversation without interference or its microphone shall be capable of being turned on and off to allow the user to intermix speech with text use.

Note: Provision of the RJ-11 jack may be accomplished by through one of the following techniques:

• Provision of the RJ-11 jack on the telephone,
• The use of a Y-adapter that allows both the analog telephone and the TTY to be plugged into the same line outlet,
• having built in capability to support an RJ11 module that can provide a connection point for TTYs

Comment from ITI
Discussion of this provision was never completed at the subcommittee level. Additional versions are going to be submitted and need to be reviewed. There is also the issue of citing specific technologies, which can limit innovation.

Comment from TIA
TIA has feedback on this provision. Please see the comments listed in 5.B Real-Time Text Reliability and Interoperability

Comments from ITAA
Provision should make clear the subject for the clause "…runs on devices…"?

Comments from CSD/Trace Center
Although TIA did not provide any language related to this provision, they did provide comments. Mostly it asks questions which this will attempt to address

1. The provision requires all VoIP phones / terminals to support real-time text. It does not require them to support RFC-4103 unless that is the form of real-time text that is used with that terminal. This is the equivalent of the current provision that requires all phones to support non-acoustic connection of TTYs.
2. The provision does not require support of RFC-4103 for phones/terminals that are on networks that have a different standard for real-time text that they support.
3. The provision requires display of incoming text on phones/terminal that have multiline displays. The overwhelming majority of late deafened adults speak just fine and have no need of a keyboard to speak with most of the people they communicate with. They speak and the others (or the relay service) types back to them.
4. There is discussion about 'user experience' and how display of text may disrupt it. For those using speech – it would not disrupt the screen at all. For those who are deaf – there is no user experience at all to disrupt if there is no text.
5. It was mentioned that IM has profoundly changed the way deaf people communicate. It has profoundly changed the way many people communicate. It has not eliminated the need for real time telephony however. And the fact that people who are deaf are all using only IM is a function of the fact that they have no other choices on their standard phones. If real-time text were available IM would continue to be used by some all the time and others some of the time – just as IM is used almost exclusively by some who speak but others use IM sometimes and real time conversation others. The informal studies done so far have shown that when given the choice, both modes are used and desired for different applications. Just as people use both the SMS and phone functions of the cell phones – and wouldn’t want to give up either one.
6. TIA states: While some may prefer real-time text, others may not. This is true as is the reverse. Mostly people will want both. And real-time text is essential for some types of communication like captioned telephony and it is highly desirable in emergency communications.
7. TIA comments end with saying that it is not known which of many options people who are deaf will want. The answer is that they will want the same spectrum of things that everyone else does. And there is no reason to deny them something they really need because it is not clear exactly how many will use which modes how much.
8. Real-time text is needed as discussed and as made clear by the consumer representatives. I couldn’t have made any of these points any better – you have captured the heart and soul of this issue in the above points.

ITI states that other versions are going to be submitted?