Schools Videoconferencing

Videoconferencing Standards

In March 2004, JANET(UK) and the RBC Technical Group produced a series of guidance documents covering Network Design, Network Security and Videoconferencing. This work was funded by the Department for Education and Skills via Becta.

These documents should be of interest to four principal audiences:

• Staff in schools involved with their school's internal network;
• LA or RBC staff designing, building or operating their wide area network; also those coordinating the networking activities of schools;
• Suppliers and service providers involved in the provision and management of local or regional schools' networks;
• Content providers who are making bodies of media-rich materials available to schools online.

In particular, the Videoconferencing guidance document sets out a number of recommendations for the successful deployment of a reliable videoconferencing service of a consistently good quality across the educational network. It also contains two appendices prepared by the Video Technology Advisory Service (VTAS) covering:

• Market Survey of Videoconferencing Systems
• Interoperability Testing of Videoconferencing Systems

Other useful standards and guidance documents are available at the VTAS site, including:

• Security Guide for H.323 Videoconferencing February 2004
• A Guide to Reliable Campus H.323 Networks August 2004

E.164 Addressing scheme

In collaboration with the RBC Technical Group, JANET(UK) has developed a national E.164 addressing scheme for Local Education Authorities and Regional Broadband Consortia wishing to implement videoconferencing services. A copy of the description of the scheme, complete with address assignments, can be found through the link below.

E.164 Numbering Scheme for Local Education Authorities and Regional Broadband Consortia (.pdf file)

The national E.164 addressing scheme is based on the Global Dialling Scheme.