AT&T Labs showcases PhoneChannel

CHICAGO—AT&T Labs demonstrated at this week’s National Cable & Telecommunications Association Cable 2001 its prototype PhoneChannel service, which uses traditional cable and telephone equipment and infrastructure to send images and information to television screens via set-top boxes.

After a call is placed, the public-phone system links to the cable network and a connection is made with a call-receiver’s set-top box. Once the link in established, information and images can be transmitted to the recipient via a virtual private network.

The company expects to conduct a three-month trial beginning this fall using four rural or lower-income urban schools in order to connect teachers with students’ parents. AT&T Labs said PhoneChannel would enable parents to communicate with the benefit of visual aids without leaving their homes.

If the distance-learning application test proves successful, the technology could also be used for small businesses which could display products for consumers as they speak, said Steve Greenspan, principal investigator at AT&T Labs. He added that the service would not only allow businesses to serve their customers more effectively, but would also introduce a personal touch that is often lost in the Internet-shopping experience.

“It’s not only convenient, but unlike the Web, they’re [consumers] not on their own,” Greenspan said. “A lot of what we’re working on is putting the person back in that loop.”

Though the test will only include still images, the service’s capabilities have a wider reach if used with heavier set-top units.

“The same system can support two-way video conferencing, streaming video on demand and audio on demand,” said Andrea Basso, another AT&T Labs principal investigator.

After the trial, the prospect of a commercial rollout will be evaluated, Greenspan said.