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Side question. One of the speakers gave his DECT number. Does that mean people are still carrying around old phones just to use at tech conferences?

solarkraft 2y ago
There is a conference phone network hosted by eventphone. The most popular way to access it is indeed using DECT handsets, but you can also access it via SIP (probably the second most popular method), GSM (yes, really, they used to hand out SIM cards), landline (supports rotary phones!) and probably even more esoteric ways. There's also a post office delivering mail both internally and externally.
phoronixrly 2y ago
I think it's a CCC tradition.
zitterbewegung 2y ago
Yes, I was looking at the conference website before it started and they still operate DECT phones.
sllabres 2y ago
They operate several different networks for voice communications during the events. From what I found usually DECT, SIP, GSM. [1] They have a status dashboard with metrics during the events. [2] [1] https://events.ccc.de/2024/12/22/38c3-poc-isdn-version/ https://events.ccc.de/2024/12/22/38c3-poc-isdn-version/ [2] https://dashboard.eventphone.de/d/de7sgxz63vzeoe/38c3?orgId=1&from=now-7d&to=now&timezone=browser&refresh=5m https://dashboard.eventphone.de/d/de7sgxz63vzeoe/38c3?orgId=...
- legulere 2y ago
  Some years ago they also operated a pneumatic tube system.
wkat4242 2y ago
Yes it's pretty handy for hacker camps. I still have one too. Especially because out on the camping fields the WiFi coverage can be hit and miss. This way you can even get calls when you walked to the toilet building or the car park. Also it's got its own frequency so it's not cluttering the ones used for WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee etc. I guess they could use an app or something but dect is rock stable and has much better range than WiFi. I got a nice Siemens one that is about the size of a nokia 8210 so it's not like you have to carry a huge brick either. I guess the battery is pretty dead now though. But it is replaceable like all batteries of that time.
- wildzzz 2y ago
  I never considered DECT phones as anything more than cordless landline phones for your home that can intercom between each other. Even the cordless phone systems in the US you can buy are usually 2.4GHz ISM now.
  - namibj 2y ago
    US DECT is 2.4 GHz, EU DECT has dedicated spectrum. Also, roaming works butter smooth. It's what's used often to provide cordless phone coverage to hospitals, for example.
ElectRabbit 2y ago
DECT is still extremely popular within (private) houses in Germany. Way more robust than VoIP over Wifi.
tgsovlerkhgsel 2y ago
Yes, although you can also use GSM or SIP and it's often called a DECT number even if you're actually on one of the newer networks, since the number space is the same. DECT simply was there first and thus became the generic term for the internal phone network.
_Microft 2y ago
Don‘t they even have an ISDN network there this year?

solarkraft 2y ago

There is a conference phone network hosted by eventphone. The most popular way to access it is indeed using DECT handsets, but you can also access it via SIP (probably the second most popular method), GSM (yes, really, they used to hand out SIM cards), landline (supports rotary phones!) and probably even more esoteric ways. There's also a post office delivering mail both internally and externally.

phoronixrly 2y ago

I think it's a CCC tradition.

zitterbewegung 2y ago

Yes, I was looking at the conference website before it started and they still operate DECT phones.

sllabres 2y ago

They operate several different networks for voice communications during the events. From what I found usually DECT, SIP, GSM. [1] They have a status dashboard with metrics during the events. [2] [1] https://events.ccc.de/2024/12/22/38c3-poc-isdn-version/ https://events.ccc.de/2024/12/22/38c3-poc-isdn-version/ [2] https://dashboard.eventphone.de/d/de7sgxz63vzeoe/38c3?orgId=1&from=now-7d&to=now&timezone=browser&refresh=5m https://dashboard.eventphone.de/d/de7sgxz63vzeoe/38c3?orgId=...

legulere 2y ago
Some years ago they also operated a pneumatic tube system.

wkat4242 2y ago

Yes it's pretty handy for hacker camps. I still have one too. Especially because out on the camping fields the WiFi coverage can be hit and miss. This way you can even get calls when you walked to the toilet building or the car park. Also it's got its own frequency so it's not cluttering the ones used for WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee etc. I guess they could use an app or something but dect is rock stable and has much better range than WiFi. I got a nice Siemens one that is about the size of a nokia 8210 so it's not like you have to carry a huge brick either. I guess the battery is pretty dead now though. But it is replaceable like all batteries of that time.

wildzzz 2y ago
I never considered DECT phones as anything more than cordless landline phones for your home that can intercom between each other. Even the cordless phone systems in the US you can buy are usually 2.4GHz ISM now.
- namibj 2y ago
  US DECT is 2.4 GHz, EU DECT has dedicated spectrum. Also, roaming works butter smooth. It's what's used often to provide cordless phone coverage to hospitals, for example.

ElectRabbit 2y ago

DECT is still extremely popular within (private) houses in Germany. Way more robust than VoIP over Wifi.

tgsovlerkhgsel 2y ago

Yes, although you can also use GSM or SIP and it's often called a DECT number even if you're actually on one of the newer networks, since the number space is the same. DECT simply was there first and thus became the generic term for the internal phone network.

_Microft 2y ago

Don‘t they even have an ISDN network there this year?