Background: Behind the POTS Shutdown

Feb. 14, 2022 - This August, the legal provisions that protected TDM voice services (like POTS and ISDN) will be nullified, as the three year period to transition to newer Voice-over-IP (VoIP) services comes to an end – as announced by the FCC in order 19-72A1 on August 2nd, 2019. 

Now, broadcasters have 6 months left to make the switch – if they haven't been forced to already.

While POTS is obsolete and has been replaced with IP networks in most industries, it's still the technology of choice for some applications. For broadcasters, specifically those working in television, POTS couplers are still used for IFB delivery.

For those who may not know – IFB (which stands for "interruptible foldback"*) is a monitoring and cueing system that consists of a one-way program feed that producers (or talent, or anyone else working in production) can dial into. This feed allows producers to monitor the program and ensure that everything is working. When IFB is used for cueing, on-air talent will wear an earpiece which is playing the feed. Producers can interrupt and replace the audio with audio from their personal microphones, in order to relay special messages or instructions to the talent.

IFB is an important part of a live broadcast, and so it's crucial to replace POTS couplers with something that's reliable, and that sounds great.

*A note on "interruptible foldback" –

"Wait," you may be thinking, "I thought IFB stood for something else!"

IFB is also called interruptible feedback, interrupted foldback, or intercom for broadcast. All those names refer to the same thing and are equally correct! It's also called switched talkback and program cue interrupt (PCI).

So what are my options for replacing my station's POTS equipment?

We offer several IP-based audio solutions.

For traditional IFB

EarShot IFB is a hardware based system that delivers live audio to talent in the field or show producers anywhere. Up to 30 callers can dial in and listen to the feed, making it possible to replace up to 30 POTS couplers with just one box.

Originally designed to provide studio feed and IFB audio for remote broadcasts like ENG reports, EarShot IFB can be used for any application that requires a live listen-in audio feed. 

For those who prefer to use a phone hybrid

VH2 is our VoIP version of a classic two-line hybrid. Great for both individual broadcast and conferencing, VH2 can be configured to work within a variety of VoIP environments. It's simple interface will feel familiar to many hybrid users, especially to those who already use Comrex analog digital hybrids.

For those who are looking to experiment

Opal is an IP audio gateway that uses the Opus codec to connect callers to a studio with a common web browser, bypassing VoIP service altogether. While it's most frequently used for guest interviews and drop-ins, it's found a market with hybrid users who need a higher audio quality. 

For those needing a flexible solution that can do double-duty

BRIC-Link II is our staple IP audio codec, originally designed for live full-duplex connections. It's popular as an STL and for remote broadcasts, but some BRIC-Link II owners have also used it for duplex IFB and/or providing audio backhaul.