Kitz Forum

Internet => General Internet => Topic started by: pablo36 on December 04, 2007, 12:08:54 PM

Title: Video Conferencing thru Internet
Post by: pablo36 on December 04, 2007, 12:08:54 PM
Hi. I am researching the possibility of setting up a telemedicine service between the UK and Zambia. This means using videoconferencing to link a doctor here and a nurse over there who will have a satellite connection. Although I can get a guaranteed bandwidth over the satellite link of 128kbps which I have been told may be enough to use Sightspeed or similar to do a videoconference, the internet link from the satellite uplink station in the US to the doctors PC in the UK is my current problem. ADSL seems to have too low a QOS ( packet loss, e.t.c. ) and would degrade the quality of the videoconference. Would using an ISDN line to dial-up to the ISP make any difference or are there any ISP's that have much more dependable lines. Obviously outright speed is less relevant than stability of up & downlink. Is there any technology or services available ( affordable as we are a non-profit organisation ) that would mean that I could end up with a 128/128kbps constant link between the UK and Zambia? Any comments / advice would be very much appreciated as this is not our area of expertise and we are desperate need of some expert help! Any suggestions of people worth contacting to discuss this would also be appreciated.

Thanks
Paul
Virtual Development CIC
A non/profit community interest company
Title: Re: Video Conferencing thru Internet
Post by: guest on December 04, 2007, 02:45:52 PM
Why is the satlink going to the USA?

ISDN will make no difference at all to you I'm afraid in terms of QoS. Nor will cable, ADSL or even leased line. The reason is that I don't think you'll find any UK ISP (and I mean specialist ISPs) which will be capable of offering any sort of guaranteed QoS/SLA to somewhere in the USA for the money I guess you'd want to pay. You might find some more amenable to offering guaranteed QoS/SLA to somewhere in the UK which is within your budget.

128kbps is going to produce AWFUL video quality so QoS would be pretty much last on my list of worries anyway. Has someone demonstrated to you what 128kbps real-time video looks like? If not then I think you should start there as if you are expecting real-time video which enables remote diagnosis then I think you'll be disappointed.