Push to talk

Push to talk, commonly abbreviated as PTT, is a method of conversing on half-duplex communication lines, by pushing a button in order to send, allowing communication to be transmitted from you, and releasing to let communication be received.

PTT is a feature on specially made Motorola mobile phones for Nextel Communications and Verizon Wireless. It allows the mobile phone when in a special mode, function as a digital two-way radio. What is special about this feature is that this feature does not use up the regular airtime minutes that are used for general voice calls, but uses up a certain amount of special minutes that are used specifically for push to talk calls and it connects the mobile phone user of one mobile phone to another mobile phone user of the same mobile phone carrier within seconds. Nextel Communications is currently the leader of the mobile push to talk industry but Verizon Wireless has recently launched its push to talk service and is using the Motorola v60p, a modified version of the v60 that has the push to talk feature and has been adapted to use the CDMA network instead of the iDEN network, for its service. It has been announced that other mobile phone carriers (such as AT&T Wireless and Sprint Communications) are expected to launch push to talk services as well.