EPA
           United States
           Environmental Protection
           Agency
             National Data Processing Division
             Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
December 1991
Audio Teleconferencing
Services
           Quick Reference Guide
                              Printed on Recycled Paper

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   -   At/-
    TABLE OF CONTENTS
    Introduction	1

    What is Audio Teleconferencing?	 2

    What NDPD Audio Teleconferencing Facilities
    and Services are Available to EPA Personnel?	4

    When Should You Use Audio Teleconferencing?	 .5

    How Do You Arrange, Access, and Conduct
    an Audio Teleconference?	6

    How Do You Resolve Technical Problems
    During an Audio Teleconference?	10

    How Do You Determine The Most Appropriate
    Conferencing Terminal or Facility?	.12

    Glossary of Audio Teleconferencing Terms.	.14
•co
HEADQUARTERS LIBRARY
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460

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 INTRODUCTION
 Meetings are an important part of our work at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
 (EPA). The quality of our work is directly related to the effectiveness with which we use meetings
 to assemble project teams, share information, generate ideas, make decisions, coordinate efforts, and
 track progress.

 EPA provides employees with state-of-the-art audio teleconferencing capabilities to make
 meetings more convenient, productive, and cost-effective. Audio teleconferencing is both a
 substitute for and supplement to face-to-face meetings. Agency personnel can use office telephones.
 or specialized speakerphones to participate in voice-only conferences involving dozens of widely.
 dispersed individuals simultaneously, linked by audio teleconferencing systems installed at EPA
                                                     Headquarters. This growing service
                                                     supported over 6,000 conferences in
                                                     1990.

                                                     This guide describes audio telecon-
                                                     ferencing facilities, systems, services,
                                                     and capabilities available to EPA
                                                     personnel through the Agency's
                                                     National Data Processing Division
                                                     (NDPD). It explains how to use audio
                                                     teleconferencing in your job; how to
                                                     obtain conferencing facilities, equip-
                                                     ment, and services; how to conduct an
                                                     audio teleconference; and how to
                                                     resolve technical problems during a
                                                     conference call.

                                                     NDPD's Telecommunications
                                                     Branch manages Agency audio
                                                     teleconferencing systems for the
 benefit of all EPA personnel nationwide. The full cost of operating the Agency bridges, as well as
FTS2000 usage, is paid by NDPD. Telecommunications staff is committed to providing Agency
personnel with the best possible audio teleconferencing systems, services, and capabilities available.
The Agency also has a dedicated video teleconference network that allows conferees to see each
other and share graphics, as well as speak to one another. (See the EPA Video Teleconferencing
Services Quick Reference Guide for further details).

EPA personnel should read this guide prior to scheduling or participating in an  audio telecon-
ference.  Conference calls may be scheduled—or technical assistance obtained—by calling NDPD
Telecommunications staff at FTS 260-CONF (260-2663). Please let us know how EPA audio
teleconferencing services can best support the way you work.
                                            1

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WHAT IS AUDIO TELECONFERENCING?
 POINT-TO-POINT CONFERENCE CALL WITH SPEAKERPHONES
          AND PORTABLE CONFERENCING UNITS
Audio teleconferencing—also known as conference calling—is the ability of three or more
people to participate in a telephone conversation.

A conference call may be of multipoint or point-to-point configuration, depending on the
number of voice terminals participating in the call. Multipoint conference calls connect three or
                                                        more telephone lines simulta-
                                                        neously, either through customer-
                                                        owned or carrier-provided tele-
                                                        phone switches, or by means of
                                                        specialized electronic devices
                                                        known as "teleconferencing
                                                        bridges." Point-to-point calls
                                                        connect two voice terminals, one
                                                        or both of which must be a speak-
                                                        erphone or specialized
                                                        conferencing unit that allows
                                                        many people in the same room to
                                                        listen and speak to the other party.
                                                        See Exhibit 1  for a typical point-
                                                        to-point conference configuration.
            PORTABLE
           CONFERENCING
              UNIT
DIAL-UP LOCAL
Of) LONG-DISTANCE
TELEPHONE LINE
                        EXHIBIT t
                                   SPEAKERPHONE
o
Q
 MULTIPOINT BRIDGED CONFERENCE CALL WITH OFFICE TELEPHONES
                       EXHIBIT 2
                                                        Different conference calls re-
                                                        quire different configurations,
                                                        depending on the number of
                                                        sites participating, the number
                                                        of participants at each site, and
                                                        whether information flows will
                                                        be interactive or one-way.
                                                        Exhibit 2 shows a typical
                                                        multipoint configuration, in which
                                                        people at four sites confer by
                                                        means of office telephones con-
                                                        nected through a multipoint bridge
                                                        managed by specially trained
                                                        system operators. The participants
                                                        may be located in different cities,
                                                        different buildings, or simply
                                                        different offices in the same
                                                        building.

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 MULTIPOINT BRIDGED CONFERENCE CALL WITH SPEAKERPHONES
                       EXHIBIT 3
THREE-WAY CONFERENCE THROUGH OFFICE PHONE SYSTEM
      0
  USSR #1 CALLS USER #2.

  THROUGH KEY COMMANDS
  FROM THEIR TELEPHONES,
  USER #1 OR USER #2 BRINGS
  USSR #3 INTO THE CALL.
                      EXHIBIT 4
     MULTIPOINT TELELECTURE WITH SPEAKERPHONES
                     DIAL-UP LOCAL
                     OH
                     LONO-DISTANCE
                     TELEPHONE LINE
                                 MULTIPOINT AUDIO
                                 	iNCINQ
                     EXHIBIT 5
For users, accessing a multipoint
conference can be as simple as
dialing into the teleconferencing
bridge at a designated time—a
method known as "meet me"—or
waiting for the system operator to
call them up and make the con-
nection manually. On the typical
interactive.multipoint call, the
meeting organizer is the first person
on line and greets other participants
as they join the conference.  Once a
user is connected into the confer-
ence, he* or she can begin to talk to
other participants.

Additional users can be added to a
multipoint conference by utilizing
speakerphones or portable confer-
ence units at one or more of the
sites, so long as they are on one of
the scheduled call-in lines.  See
Exhibit 3 for this configuration.

The most elementary form of
multipoint conference—the three-
way call—is supported by many
office telephone systems.  Refer to
Exhibit 4. Users are able to bring a
third party into an existing telephone
conversation through key commands
dialed from their office phone sets.
The capability is supported by
premises telephone, switches or by
common carrier switches, such as
the Washington Interagency Tele-
communications System (WITS),
which also supports six-way calling.

A specialized multipoint call—the
telelecture (see Exhibit 5>—
enables participants to hear the
conference leader but not speak to
the leader or to each other.  The
telelecture is best suited to informa-
tion broadcast applications.

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WHAT AUDIO TELECONFERENCING FACILITIES AND
SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO EPA PERSONNEL?

FACILITY DESCRIPTION
Teleconfe- Specialized
renclng digital devices
AVAILABILITY
Available to all
EPA employees
bridges that enable 4 or
. ^ 	

:
.
more voice call-
ers to confer at
the same time;
"* installed at HQ
Portable Specialized
conferen- speakerphones
cing units that enable a
(PCUs) group of people
/~^

^/£feHp
' ^"Tf""
•

~ • .."
-—7 in a single room
^/ to participate in
/ ; a phone conver-
sation over
normal phone
lines; available
atHQ. .
Telecon- . Conference
ference rooms with audio
rooms
... •;•* --

teleconferencing
. . .equipment ...
•• installed
Speaker- Telephones with
phones built-in speakers


//tegs

|LJ=

that enable more
->_ than one person
to speak and
1 listen at a time





Available only
to HQ personnel
for short-term
loan





?•

Available to HQ
personnel
only

-. ' ; .
Available to any
user (requires
program office
purchase)


HOURS ORDER POINT
OF CONTACT
*' i i
Mon.-FriM Audio conferen-
8 a.m.- cing center
6 p.m. scheduler, FTS
260-CONF (260-
2663)


Mon.-Fri., Audio conferen-
8 a.m.- cing center
6 p.m. scheduler, FTS
260-CONF (260-
2663)


'.



Mon.-Fri., Audio conferen-
8 a.m.- cing center
6 p.m. scheduler, FTS
= 260-CONF (260-
2663)
Not Voice
appli- Customer
cable Service
Representative



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WHEN SHOULD YOU USE AUDIO TELECONFERENCING?
EPA personnel should consider using audio teleconferencing for most meetings in which it is
not possible, practical, or cost-effective for participants to meet face to face. Teleconference
participants may be located in different cities, or they may simply be people in the same office who
for whatever reason cannot be in the same room at the same time. The most important applications
are as a substitute for business travel and for coordination among dispersed project team members.

The following matrix describes the particular audio teleconferencing configuration most
appropriate to various applications. To determine the configuration most'appropriate to your next
conference call, identify the questions under "Proposed Application" that you would answer "yes."
Checkmarks in those rows indicate the teleconferencing configurations that might be suitable to your
application. Absence of a checkmark means that the corresponding configuration would not be
appropriate.
         POSSIBLE
          TELECONFERENCING
            CONFIGURATIONS
  PROPOSED
  APPLICATION
S£§
                                     en
                                 — o *-»
                                 •— 4> C
                                 O Q. O
                                 Q- in <->
                                                       %l
                    Tj o.
                    ca 
          I
a
  Two locations?

  Three or more locations?
  More than one person
  at each location?

  Interactive discussions?
                      V
 V
  One-way broadcast presentation?
  Using speaker-phones, portable
  conferencing units (PCUs), or
  special conference rooms?

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HOW DO YOU ARRANGE; ACCESS, AND CONDUCT AN
AUDIO TELECONFERENCE?
Successful audio teleconferences require well-prepared leaders who find time in participants1
schedules, reserve teleconferencing facilities, and moderate on-line discussions. This section
provides practical guidelines for audio teleconferencing leaders in four areas:

      o     Finding time in participants' schedules;

      o     Scheduling use of audio teleconferencing facilities;

      o     Accessing and conducting the audio teleconference; and

      o     Closing the conference.
 FINDING TIME IN PARTICIPANTS' SCHEDULES
                             The principal responsibility of the conference
                             leader is to find a date and time acceptable to
                             all participants and for which Agency tele-
                             conferencing facilities are available. These
                             steps should be followed:
      o

      o
Choose a tentative and a contingency conference date, time, and duration. The
contingency time will be used in case teleconferencing facilities are unavailable at the
preferred date and time. The maximum suggested conference duration is two hours,
since participant attention spans are often shorter than in face-to-face meetings.

Designate site leaders and other participants for each location.

Check with participants to make sure the tentative dates and times fit into their
schedules.
            Work out any scheduling conflicts among participants.

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  SCHEDULING USE OF AUDIO
TELECONFERENCING FACILITIES
Conference leaders must contact EPA Telecom-
munications staff at FTS 260-CONF (2663) to
reserve use of the multipoint teleconferencing
bridge, portable conferencing units, and/or
teleconferencing rooms for the preferred dates
and times.  To reserve facilities for your next
conference call, follow these steps:
        Schedule the conference as far in advance as possible and at least 24 hours prior
        to the planned date and time.  Teleconference operators are responsible for
        enforcing scheduling policies and maintaining the checkout list for portable
        conferencing units and the teleconferencing room.  Special arrangements can be made
        for conferences needed on a frequent or recurring basis by contacting the
        Teleconferencing Manager at FTS 260-CONF (2663). You may have difficulty
        reserving teleconferencing facilities on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays,
        because these are the busiest days for conferencing calling at EPA.

        Call the Headquarters teleconference scheduler to determine whether the
        facilities required are available at the preferred or contingency date and time.
        All facilities are scheduleld on a first-come first-served basis, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-
        6 p.m. (Eastern Time Zone), or at other times by special arrangement. Audio
        teleconferencing service is available to any EPA employee in the U.S., including
        Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, for official Agency business only. You will need
        special authorization from the EPA telecommunications staff to use outside
        teleconference facilities, based upon the telecommunications staffs determination that
        EPA teleconferencing facilities cannot support the  time slots and/or number of lines
        required for a particular conference. EPA facilities should satisfy most audio
        teleconferencing requirements for Headquarters, regional, and field site personnel, at
        the least cost to die Government.

        Provide the following information to the Headquarters teleconference scheduler:

               -Conference leader's name, telephone number, and location;

               -Number of lines required. Two people calling from different rooms at EPA
                Headquarters will use two lines, while three people on one speakerphone
                use only one line.

               -Starting and ending times of the conference (Eastern Time Zone).
                 Reservations are made in 30-minute increments.  Scheduling a few extra
                 minutes is advisable. However, scheduling two hours for a 45-minute
                 conference prevents someone else from using the teleconferencing bridge
                 for at least one hour.
               -Whether a conference room or a portable conferencing unit is needed for
                 Headquarters participants.

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  o      Notify participants of the date and time for which audio teleconferencing
         facilities have been reserved. The meeting notice should include the following:
                    »
                —Beginning and ending time of the conference (including the time zone);

                —Locations, names, and titles of all participants;

                —Procedures for accessing the teleconference, as well as the
                 teleconference hotline number to call the Headquarters Teleconferencing
                 Center Operator at 260-2001 if participants encounter technical troubles.
                 Federal'participants can dial a seven-digit FTS2000 number.  Nonfederal
                 participants must usually dial the 202 area code plus the seven-digit access
                 number. Parties calling on commercial lines will pay the cost of their call.
                 Under no circumstances can the teleconference scheduler  accept collect
                 calls. Under special circumstances, the teleconference operator can dial
                 participants to place them into a conference. However, operator-initiated
                 connections add to the length of the teleconference due to the time it takes to
                 reach these parties.

                —Agenda containing specific goals and objectives, supplementary
                 documents, and visual materials.

  o      Provide participants with the telephone number—furnished by the
         Headquarters teleconference scheduler—to call at the scheduled time to join the
         audio teleconference. Please notify the teleconference scheduler and all participants
         promptly if a conference has been cancelled.
ACCESSING AND CONDUCTING THE
   AUDIO TELECONFERENCE
Conference leaders can ensure that multipoint confer-
ences run smoothly by following these steps, some of
which are technical in nature, while others are simply
common-sense rules that apply equally well to face-to-
face meetings:
         If a portable conferencing unit (PCU) has been reserved, Headquarters staff should
         pick up the unit from the Headquarters audio teleconferencing center at least one half
         hour prior to the scheduled conference, when this is possible. Teleconferencing staff
         will provide users with installation instructions at pickup time. Portable conferencing
         units can be installed in conference rooms in the Waterside Mall complex or other
         facilities.

         Dial the teleconferencing bridge at the appointed date and time, in order to be
         the first party and to greet other participants as they join. Allow a few rings for
                                            8

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      the system to answer the call.  Dial FTS 260-2001 for assistance in accessing the
      teleconferencing bridge, if necessary. Never dial the teleconferencing bridge before
      the scheduled starting time or without prior confirmation, since misuse of this line
      could interrupt ongoing meetings or delay previously scheduled conference calls.

      Encourage small talk among participants before the main portion of the
      conference.  Small talk dispels nervousness among participants who feel
      uncomfortable talking or are not experienced with audio teleconferencing technology.
      It also establishes name/voice recognition among participants and provides the leader
      with an opportunity to coach participants in proper conference call techniques and
      etiquette. Participants should be instructed to emphasize verbal interaction, speak
      slightly louder than normal, speak into the microphone, and use clear diction.

      Start the conference on time and follow these tips to maximize the productivity
      of discussions:

              —Conduct a formal roll call and ask participants to introduce themselves.

              -Review the conference agenda.

             —Address participants by name.

             —Ensure that participants identify themselves before speaking.

              —Keep the conference moving toward fulfillment of concrete goals in
               accordance with the meeting agenda.
 CLOSING THE CONFERENCE
Conference leaders can bring the on-line discus-
sions to a graceful, orderly close by following these
steps:
o      Begin to close the discussion early enough so that the conference can come to an
       orderly finish.

o      At the end of the conference, summarize the discussion and clarify decisions or
       conclusions reached. Set up issues for the next conference, if applicable.  Allow a
       few minutes for general conversation before participants hang up. Thank participants
       and close the meeting.  End the conference promptly to ensure that it does not exceed
       its allotted duration.

o      Make sure that the teleconference room is left neat for the next meeting.

o      If portable conferencing units were used, repack and return them promptly.

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HOW DO YOU RESOLVE TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
DURING AN AUDIO TELECONFERENCE?
The best way to avoid technical problems during an audio teleconference is to follow these
guidelines:
          Make sure that the conferencing area is free from foreign noise such as heating/air condi-
          tioning exhaust and corridor traffic.
          Conduct audio conferences in EPA-designated conference rooms when possible. Desig-
          nated conference rooms are less likely than office space to have acoustical problems that
          may interfere with conference calls.
         Avoid using portable conferencing units (PCUs) in large conference areas such as audito-
         riums, in conjunction with a public address system, near heating/air conditioning ex-
         haust, or near other noise sources. PCUs are designed for use by 6-10 conferees seated
         around a 4' x 8' conference table.
The following technical problems are common to most audio teleconferencing systems and may
be encountered by EPA personnel using Agency facilities. The source of each problem is pre-
sented along with some simple solutions. If these solutions do not resolve the problem, call the
audio conferencing hotline at FTS 260-2001 during your conference for further assistance:

Speech clipped off

Source: Audio teleconferencing bridges have internal circuitry that switches from one speaker or
location to another, selecting the loudest source of sound. When speakers interrupt one another, the
system microphone may not be able to switch fast enough to catch an entire phrase, resulting in
speech that is "clipped" off or only partially heard by teleconference listeners. Speech clipping also
occurs with speakerphones. New audio teleconferencing technology—such as that incorporated into
EPA's Multilink bridges—has reduced but not completely eliminated clipping.

Solution: Participants should speak in turns and pause momentarily after speaking, providing others
with a cue to begin speaking.

Background noise

Source: Background noise degrades the overall sound quality of the audio conference.  If excessive,
it can interrupt the conference by locking on a location where no one is speaking.

Solution: Participants should maintain a quiet conference environment by eliminating extraneous
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noises, such as side conversations, paper shuffling, table tapping, excessive coughing, operation of
typewriters and printers, and telephones.

Poor quality telecommunications circuits
Source: Multipoint audio teleconferences tie together many telecommunications circuits and even
one bad circuit can seriously degrade the sound quality of an entire conference. Some of the line
problems commonly encountered include crosstalk, static, and fading.

Solution:  Participants encountering a poor connection should hang up immediately and redial the
bridge until an acceptable connection is made. When using speakerphones, participants should dial
the bridge using the handset and not the speakerphone. Line noise is more apparent if the handset is
used to dial the bridge initially. After an adequate connection is made, the participant may then
switch to the speakerphone. Participants should report FTS2000 troubles on their lines to FTS 629-
1088 or 260-2267.

If line problems occur during a conference call, notify the teleconference operator by dialing zero on
your touchtone phone. Be sure that the telephone's handset is not in its cradle and that you hold the
zero button down for one or two full seconds. Dialing zero alerts the teleconferencing operator that
there is a technical problem. The operator will access the conference to ask who needs assistance.
The operator can place the affected participants on hold and consult privately with them to help
identify the problem and implement a solution.
              T
Disconnections

Source: Longer phone conversations have a greater chance of being disconnected, for a variety of
reasons.
         i
Solution:  If disconnection occurs during a conference call, participants should simply redial the
bridge to be reconnected. If you are unable to re-establish the connection, call the teleconference
hotline at FTS 260-2001.                                       .       .     ._
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HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THE MOST APPROPRIATE
CONFERENCING TERMINAL OR FACILITY?
Voice terminal equipment is the EPA user's access point to audio teleconferencing services, so
program offices should consider their conferencing requirements when acquiring or upgrading
their telephone systems. Many users require nothing more elaborate than standard office tele-
phones to access multipoint conferences on the Agency's bridges.  Headquarters program office staff
can check out the Agency's portable conferencing units on an as-needed basis.

However, program offices and personnel that are frequent users of audio teleconferencing
should consider acquiring their owii specialized terminal equipment and conferencing facili-
ties.  Program offices should base their conferencing terminal and facilities acquisitions on the size
of groups involved in conference calls:
                Very small groups (2-3 people per site):  The most appropriate conferencing
                terminals for very small groups are voice sets with built-in speakerphones, such as
                those available with Merlin systems. However, speakerphones-can deliver •
                booming sounds, echo-chamber voices, and occasionally shrill feedback tones.
                They can also stifle spontaneity by permitting only one person at a time to speak.
                The microphone in most speakerphones requires speakers to sit very close to the
                unit.

                Small groups (4-8 people per site): Small groups require 12 x 18 foot conference
                rooms that have been equipped with portable conferencing units (PCUs) and have
                low ambient noise levels. PCUs should have digital signal processing technology
                that cancels out conflicting echo/feedback signals and provides two-way, interac-
                tive audio teleconferencing.  The Heaquarters Audio Teleconferencing Center has
                several NEC VoicePoint PCUs for loan to conference participants.

                Medium groups (9-12 people per site): Medium groups require 18 x 24 foot
                conference rooms with PCUs, as well as special acoustical treatment. For best
                sound quality, conference participants should be close to the conferencing unit.
                Large groups (13-30 per site): Large groups require 24 x 40 foot conference
                rooms with permanently installed teleconferencing units and special acoustical
                treatment. Such rooms require individual design, which should be coordinated
                with the Washington Telecommunications staff.
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             Very large groups (31 and above per site): Very large groups require use of an audito-
             rium that has been custom-designed for audio teleconferencing. PCUs such as the^
             VoicePoint and NT2000 should not be used in auditoriums in conjunction with public
             address systems.
Please contact the Washington Telecommunications staff (260-2663) or the Headquarters Customer
Service Supervisor (260-7478) for further information and for assistance in identifying the telecon-
ferencing equipment that best meets your needs.                               .  -    .  .
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GLOSSARY OF AUDIO TELECONFERENCING TERMS
   Audio teleconferencing bridge
   Audio teleconferencing
   Clipping
   Conference leader
   Conference scheduler
   Meet me
   Multipoint
   Point-to-point
   Portable conferencing
   unit(PCU)
   Speakerphone
   Three-way conference
   calling
   Telelecture
A specialized, digital electronic
device that enables four or more
voice telephone callers to confer  ' '  '  ,''  •  '•
simultaneously     >  •

Telephonic communications between
multiple groups (two or more),
multiple people (three or more)

An audio teleconference problem in
which spoken phrases are cut off or
only partially heard by conference
participants

The person who directs a telecon-
ference and is equivalent to a
chairperson in a face-to-face
meeting

The telecommunications staff member-
who reserves uses of EPA's audio
conferencing bridges, portable conferencing
units, and teleconference room for
authorized EPA uses

An audio teleconferencing system
feature that allows conference
participants to dial directly into a
teleconference without operator
assistance

The capability of four or more separately located
people or groups of people to carry on a voice telephone
conversation by means of an electronic audio
teleconferencing bridge

The capability of two groups of people in
different locations to communicate with a
Speakerphone or portable conferencing unit

A specialized Speakerphone that may be installed
in any room with a standard touchtone single-
line phone and an electrical outlet

A voice terminal that amplifies telephone
conversations through a loudspeaker and picks up
conversations with a microphone

The capability of an individual or group to bring a
third party or group into an existing telephone
conversation

A one-way multipoint conference call that places
conference participants except the leader
in receive-only mode
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