Text over IP

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Text over IP (or ToIP) is a means of providing a real-time text (RTT) service that operates over IP-based networks.^[1] It complements Voice over IP (VoIP) and Video over IP.

Real-time text is streaming text that is transmitted as it is produced, allowing text to be used conversationally.^[2] Real-time text is defined in ITU-T Multimedia Recommendation F.700 2.1.2.1 . Real-time text is designed for conversational use where people interactively converse with each other. To achieve this, particular user requirements have been specified for the delay of each character and the character loss rate (see F.700 Annex A.3).

Real-time Text over IP can be used:

• in conjunction with voice or video in a multimedia communication or on its own, on fixed or mobile accesses,
• by people who want a fast and really interactive means of conversing,
• in noisy environments where it may be hard to hear,
• in environments where other people are nearby but where communications privacy is required,
• to transfer information (e.g., numbers, addresses, etc.) where exactness is necessary,
• by people with hearing loss or speech impairments to communicate with non-disabled and deaf or hard of hearing or speech impaired people.
• to provide real time captioning of a voice conversation for people with a hearing loss. See also captioned telephony in Telecommunications Relay Service
• to provide all voice callers with a convenient means to accurately pass numbers, addresses and other detailed information in text.