Remove/Improve Bandwidth Disconnects for being alone in a Call. (With solution proposal)

Hi Discord Team,

First, I want to acknowledge that I understand the reasoning behind the 3-minute disconnect feature. Bandwidth is costly, and keeping unused connections open can add up. That is why in this post I also want to offer some solutions to the problem.

However, I believe there are some compelling reasons why users should be allowed to remain in private calls even when they’re alone, similar to how Server/Guild voice channels work. Here are a few key reasons:

1. Waiting for Friends: In private calls, being in the call signals to the other person that you’re available and waiting, which is particularly helpful when someone is running late or briefly away. The current system forces us to manually reconnect, disrupting activities like gaming or other full-screen applications where switching back to Discord isn’t convenient.
2. Long-Distance Relationships & Connection: For couples in long-distance relationships who use Discord to stay connected, maintaining a call is more than just a conversation—it’s about having a presence. The call being automatically disconnected because one person stepped away for a few minutes is inconvenient and breaks that sense of connection. Think of the call like a room in a house. Just because my call partner leaves the room for a few minutes doesn't mean I need to leave the entire house. They should be able to come back into that room without inviting me back over.
3. Inconsistent Experience: Since server-based voice channels allow users to remain alone, it feels inconsistent that private calls would behave differently. Private calls could follow the same logic for user consistency across the platform.

Potential Solutions:

• Packet Pausing: One idea could be to pause the sending of voice/video packets when someone is alone in a call, virtually "disconnecting" but keeping the user in a pending state. As soon as the other person joins, it could seamlessly reconnect without any user action. This would be invisible to the user and significantly reduce bandwidth usage without disrupting the experience.
• Nitro Feature: Another potential option could be making this a Nitro-exclusive feature. Many users, especially those in long-distance relationships or those who spend a lot of time in voice calls, would happily subscribe to Nitro if it meant uninterrupted calls. Based on community feedback, this is one of the more common frustrations users have with the platform.

We understand that "bandwidth doesn’t grow on trees", but stopping the packets while the user is alone or offering it as a Nitro perk would both be user-friendly solutions that could help balance costs while improving the overall experience.

Thank you for your consideration!