Video has been around for 60 years. Until the Minicam came on the scene video was earmarked by high priced, professional equipment. Today video conferencing from PC’s and 3G-based telephones have driven down prices to that of a low cost PC peripheral. In the USA the installation figures are low partly because our phone networks are not ready to carry high-bit rate information.

Having said all that, consider the benefits we would all enjoy were the FCC and the Telcos to get off their contorted regulatory positions and power struggles and get the job done. In the meantime, both Tokyo and Helsinki are rapidly cutting over to this mode of communication and dragging Asia and Europe with them.

The benefits to business inherent in video communication are obvious and overwhelming. Video has unique capabilities to aid and support commerce. We have written about trust issues and certainly being able to eye-ball a business supplier or partner has great advantages compared with voice or email only.

Training is a very big issue as technologies progress. Video training and mentoring are far superior to "blind" media. Travel and working from home are better supported. And then there are all the line functions that are aided by video collaboration like Engineering, Manufacturing, Product Development, Marketing and Sales.

The implementation of the technology requires as close to zero user training as you can get. Young children understand the "point-and-capture" interface and the content is all human communication using all the senses except smell and touch. Given this, and the relentless application of Moore’s law, soon prices for Video Cameras will make them practical for widespread applications.

You tell me, would you rather read a manual or watch a video that communicates the same thing. I’m not saying print goes away. I am saying that for a wide range of situations, video has far superior communication values.

Clearly the USA lags Japan and Finland - as well as world markets using GSM, in implementing this capability.

So what’s the solution? You’ve got email, let Congress, the FCC and the Telco’s know you think it is a priority. With enough feedback, who knows, they may even get off their complacency and do something to move in this direction.

Terry and Lisa Wellman