It is becoming increasingly viable to conduct meetings via video-conference and use a wireless remote extender video camera for "real time": diagnostics, remote monitoring, seeing projects in process, looking at all aspects of a particular demonstration, viewing operations in telemedicine and conducting video tours - to name a few. With the cost of equipment coming down, the increase of the more inexpensive high-bandwidth wide area network connections and the provision of more bandwidth for "public use wireless" communications by the FCC, this technology will become even more common.

Compact, relatively easy-to-use personal videophones are on the market, with more than adequate audio and video performance. While call reliability still needs to be improved and screens increased in size, this technology is coming closer to being a useable one for a wide variety of needs. (DVC March/April 1998)