diff --git a/concord-server/migrations/20250928083913_maxchar2000/migration.sql b/concord-server/migrations/20250928083913_maxchar2000/migration.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..096b66b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/concord-server/migrations/20250928083913_maxchar2000/migration.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+/*
+  Warnings:
+
+  - You are about to alter the column `text` on the `Message` table. The data in that column could be lost. The data in that column will be cast from `Text` to `VarChar(2000)`.
+
+*/
+-- AlterTable
+ALTER TABLE "public"."Message" ALTER COLUMN "text" SET DATA TYPE VARCHAR(2000);
diff --git a/concord-server/src/controller/realtime.ts b/concord-server/src/controller/realtime.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 5f9b961..0000000
--- a/concord-server/src/controller/realtime.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,126 +0,0 @@
-import { Context } from "hono";
-import {
-  sendMessageToChannel,
-  removeMessageFromChannel,
-} from "../services/realtime.js";
-import { success } from "zod";
-
-export async function postMessageToChannel(io: any, c: Context) {
-  try {
-    io = c.get("io");
-
-    const instanceId = c.req.param("instanceId");
-    const categoryId = c.req.param("categoryId");
-    const channelId = c.req.param("channelId");
-    const message = await c.req.json();
-
-    const result = await sendMessageToChannel(
-      instanceId,
-      categoryId,
-      channelId,
-      message,
-      "new_channel_message",
-      io,
-    );
-
-    if (result === "Event not implemented") {
-      console.log(
-        "controller::realtime::postMessageToChannel - Failed to send message",
-      );
-      return c.json({
-        success: false,
-        message: "Event not implemented or recognized",
-        status: 400,
-      });
-    }
-
-    if (result === "no acknowledgment") {
-      console.log(
-        "controller::realtime::postMessageToChannel - No acknowledgment received from client",
-      );
-      return c.json({
-        success: false,
-        message: "No acknowledgment received from client",
-        status: 500,
-      });
-    }
-
-    if (!result) {
-      throw new Error("failed to send message");
-    }
-
-    return c.json({
-      success: true,
-      message: "Message sent successfully",
-      status: 200,
-    });
-  } catch (err) {
-    const errMessage = err as Error;
-    console.log("controller::realtime::postMessageToChannel - ", errMessage);
-    return c.json({
-      success: false,
-      message: errMessage.message,
-      status: 500,
-    });
-  }
-}
-
-export async function deleteMessageFromChannel(io: any, c: Context) {
-  try {
-    io = c.get("io");
-
-    const instanceId = c.req.param("instanceId");
-    const categoryId = c.req.param("categoryId");
-    const channelId = c.req.param("channelId");
-    const messageId = c.req.param("messageId");
-
-    const result = await removeMessageFromChannel(
-      instanceId,
-      categoryId,
-      channelId,
-      messageId,
-      "delete_channel_message",
-      io,
-    );
-
-    if (result === "event not implemented") {
-      console.log(
-        "controller::realtime::deleteMessageFromChannel - Event not implemented",
-      );
-      return c.json({
-        success: false,
-        message: "Event not implemented or recognized",
-        status: 400,
-      });
-    }
-
-    if (result === "no acknowledgment") {
-      console.log(
-        "controller::realtime::deleteMessageFromChannel - No acknowledgment received from client",
-      );
-      return c.json({
-        success: false,
-        message: "No acknowledgment received from client",
-        status: 500,
-      });
-    }
-
-    if (!result) {
-      throw new Error("failed to delete message");
-    }
-
-    c.json({
-      success: true,
-      message: "Message deleted successfully",
-      status: 200,
-    });
-  } catch (err) {
-    const errMessage = err as Error;
-    console.log("services::realtime::deleteMessageFromChannel - ", errMessage);
-    return c.json({
-      success: false,
-      message: errMessage.message,
-      status: 500,
-    });
-  }
-}
diff --git a/concord-server/src/index.ts b/concord-server/src/index.ts
index 1348a03..4d257c4 100644
--- a/concord-server/src/index.ts
+++ b/concord-server/src/index.ts
@@ -5,46 +5,20 @@ import { Server } from "socket.io";
 import routes from "./routes/index";
 import { Scalar } from "@scalar/hono-api-reference";
 import { openAPIRouteHandler } from "hono-openapi";
+import { registerSocketHandlers } from "./sockets";
 
-//initialize socket.io server
-const io = new Server();
-
-//initialize bun engine
-//then bind to socket.io server
-const engine = new Engine();
-io.bind(engine);
-
-io.on("connection", (socket) => {
-  //get userId and clientId from query params
-  const userId = socket.handshake.query.userId;
-  const clientId = socket.handshake.query.clientId;
-  if (!userId || Array.isArray(userId)) {
-    socket.disconnect();
-    throw new Error("Invalid user ID");
-  }
-
-  if (!clientId || Array.isArray(clientId)) {
-    socket.disconnect();
-    throw new Error("Invalid client ID");
-  }
-
-  socket.join(userId);
-  console.log(
-    `User ${userId} connected. Client ID ${clientId} on socket ${socket.id}`,
-  );
-
-  socket.on("disconnect", () => {
-    console.log(`User ${userId} disconnected from socket ${socket.id}`);
-  });
-});
-
+// Routes
 const app = new Hono();
 
 app.use(
   "*",
   cors({
-    origin: "http://localhost:5173",
-    allowHeaders: ["Content-Type", "Authorization"],
+    origin: ["http://localhost:5173", "https://concord.kpuig.net"],
+    allowHeaders: [
+      "Content-Type",
+      "Authorization",
+      "Access-Control-Allow-Origin",
+    ],
     allowMethods: ["GET", "POST", "PUT", "DELETE", "OPTIONS"],
     credentials: true,
   }),
@@ -68,4 +42,44 @@ app.get(
 
 app.get("/scalar", Scalar({ url: "/openapi" }));
 
-export default app;
+// initialize socket.io server
+const io = new Server({
+  cors: {
+    origin: ["http://localhost:5173", "https://concord.kpuig.net"],
+    credentials: true,
+  },
+});
+const engine = new Engine();
+io.bind(engine);
+
+// Register socket.io events
+registerSocketHandlers(io);
+
+const { websocket } = engine.handler();
+
+export default {
+  port: 3000,
+  idleTimeout: 30, // must be greater than the "pingInterval" option of the engine, which defaults to 25 seconds
+
+  async fetch(req: Request, server: Bun.Server) {
+    const url = new URL(req.url);
+
+    if (url.pathname === "/socket.io/") {
+      const response = await engine.handleRequest(req, server);
+      // Add CORS headers explicitly
+      const origin = req.headers.get("Origin");
+      if (
+        origin &&
+        ["http://localhost:5173", "https://concord.kpuig.net"].includes(origin)
+      ) {
+        response.headers.set("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", origin);
+      }
+      response.headers.set("Access-Control-Allow-Credentials", "true");
+      return response;
+    } else {
+      return app.fetch(req, server);
+    }
+  },
+
+  websocket,
+};
diff --git a/concord-server/src/routes/realtime.ts b/concord-server/src/routes/realtime.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 933b839..0000000
--- a/concord-server/src/routes/realtime.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-import { Hono } from "hono";
-import { zValidator } from "@hono/zod-validator";
-import { describeRoute, resolver } from "hono-openapi";
-import {
-  postMessageToChannel,
-  deleteMessageFromChannel,
-} from "../controller/realtime";
-
-const app = new Hono();
-
-app.post(
-  "message/",
-  zValidator({
-    body: z.object({
-      content: z.string().min(1).max(500),
-    }),
-  }),
-  async (c) => {
-    const { instanceId, categoryId, channelId } = c.req.params;
-    const { content } = c.req.body;
-
-    return postMessageToChannel(c.get("io"), {
-      instanceId,
-      categoryId,
-      channelId,
-      content,
-    });
-  },
-);
diff --git a/concord-server/src/services/instanceService.ts b/concord-server/src/services/instanceService.ts
index bb4008a..7ac6381 100644
--- a/concord-server/src/services/instanceService.ts
+++ b/concord-server/src/services/instanceService.ts
@@ -57,3 +57,64 @@ export async function getAllInstances() {
     };
   }
 }
+
+export async function getInstanceByChannelId(id: string) {
+  try {
+    const instance = await prisma.instance.findFirst({
+      where: {
+        Category: {
+          some: {
+            Channel: {
+              some: {
+                id: id
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      },
+    });
+
+    if (!instance) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    return instance;
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error("Error fetching instance by channel ID:", error);
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+export async function getInstancesByUserId(id: string) {
+  try {
+    const user = await getUserInformation(id);
+    if (user && user.admin) {
+      const adminInstances = await getAllInstances();
+      if (adminInstances && adminInstances.success)  {
+        return adminInstances.data;
+      }
+    }
+
+    const instance = await prisma.instance.findMany({
+      where: {
+        Role: {
+          some: {
+            User: {
+              id: id
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    });
+
+    if (!instance) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    return instance;
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error("Error fetching instance by channel ID:", error);
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
diff --git a/concord-server/src/services/realtime.ts b/concord-server/src/services/realtime.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 434de72..0000000
--- a/concord-server/src/services/realtime.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,90 +0,0 @@
-import { readonly } from "zod";
-
-const EVENTS = {
-  NEW_CHANNEL_MESSAGE: "new_channel_message",
-  DELETE_CHANNEL_MESSAGE: "delete_channel_message",
-};
-
-export async function sendMessageToChannel(
-  instanceId: string,
-  categoryId: string,
-  channelId: string,
-  message: any,
-  event: string,
-  io: any,
-): Promise<string | boolean> {
-  try {
-    //TODO: implement middleware to replace this
-    if (EVENTS.NEW_CHANNEL_MESSAGE === event) {
-      throw new Error("Event not implemented");
-    }
-
-    //TODO: add prisma to save channel message to DB
-
-    return new Promise((resolve) => {
-      io.to(instanceId).emit(event, message, (ack: any) => {
-        if (ack && ack.status === "received") {
-          console.log(`Message ${ack.messageId} acknowledged by client.`);
-          resolve(true);
-        } else {
-          console.log(
-            "services::realtime::sendMessageToChannel No acknowledgment received from client.",
-          );
-          resolve("no acknowledgment");
-        }
-      });
-    });
-  } catch (err) {
-    const errMessage = err as Error;
-    if (errMessage.message === "Event not implemented") {
-      console.log(
-        `services::realtime::sendMessageToChannel - Event not implemented. Attempted event: ${event}`,
-      );
-      return "event not implemented";
-    }
-    console.log("services::realtime::sendMessageToChannel - ", errMessage);
-    return false;
-  }
-}
-
-export async function removeMessageFromChannel(
-  instanceId: string,
-  categoryId: string,
-  channelId: string,
-  messageId: string,
-  event: string,
-  io: any,
-): Promise<string | boolean> {
-  try {
-    //TODO: implement middleware to replace this
-    if (EVENTS.DELETE_CHANNEL_MESSAGE === event) {
-      throw new Error("event not implemented");
-    }
-
-    //TODO: add prisma to flag a channel message as deleted
-
-    return new Promise((resolve) => {
-      io.to(instanceId).emit(event, { messageId }, (ack: any) => {
-        if (ack && ack.status === "received") {
-          console.log(`Message ${ack.messageId} acknowledged by client.`);
-          resolve(true);
-        } else {
-          console.log(
-            "services::realtime::deleteMessageFromChannel No acknowledgment received from client.",
-          );
-          resolve("no acknowledgment");
-        }
-      });
-    });
-  } catch (err) {
-    const errMessage = err as Error;
-    if (errMessage.message === "Event not implemented") {
-      console.log(
-        `services::realtime::deleteMessageFromChannel - Event not implemented. Attempted event: ${event}`,
-      );
-      return false;
-    }
-    console.log("services::realtime::deleteMessageFromChannel - ", errMessage);
-    return false;
-  }
-}
diff --git a/concord-server/src/sockets/index.ts b/concord-server/src/sockets/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..816e14d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/concord-server/src/sockets/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import { Server } from "socket.io";
+import { registerVoiceHandlers } from "./voiceHandler";
+
+export function registerSocketHandlers(io: Server) {
+  // bad practice
+  io.on("connection", (socket) => {
+    console.log("connected");
+    socket.on("ping", (c) => {
+      console.log(c);
+      socket.emit("pong", c);
+    });
+  });
+
+  // good practice
+  registerVoiceHandlers(io);
+}
diff --git a/concord-server/src/sockets/voiceHandler.ts b/concord-server/src/sockets/voiceHandler.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..50c285f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/concord-server/src/sockets/voiceHandler.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,309 @@
+import { Server, Socket } from "socket.io";
+import { getUserCredentials, getUserInformation } from "../services/userService";
+import { getAllInstances, getInstanceByChannelId, getInstancesByUserId } from "../services/instanceService";
+import { getCategoriesByInstance, getCategory, getChannel } from "../services/channelService";
+
+// Change to Map of voiceChannelId to Map of userId to socket
+const voiceChannelMembers = new Map<string, Map<string, Socket>>();
+
+// Types for WebRTC messages
+interface WebRTCOffer {
+  targetUserId: string;
+  sdp: RTCSessionDescriptionInit;
+}
+
+interface WebRTCAnswer {
+  targetUserId: string;
+  sdp: RTCSessionDescriptionInit;
+}
+
+interface WebRTCIceCandidate {
+  targetUserId: string;
+  candidate: RTCIceCandidateInit;
+}
+
+// Future ICE server configuration
+// This can be expanded later to include TURN servers
+interface IceServerConfig {
+  urls: string | string[];
+  username?: string;
+  credential?: string;
+}
+
+export function registerVoiceHandlers(io: Server) {
+  io.on("connection", (socket: Socket) => {
+    // Join voice channel
+    socket.on("join-voicechannel", async (data) => {
+      const payload = data as {
+        userId: string
+        userToken: string,
+        voiceChannelId: string,
+      };
+      if (!payload) {
+        socket.emit("error-voicechannel", "no payload in voice conn")
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // Initialize map for channel if not present
+      if (!voiceChannelMembers.has(payload.voiceChannelId)) {
+        voiceChannelMembers.set(payload.voiceChannelId, new Map());
+      }
+
+      const channelMembers = voiceChannelMembers.get(payload.voiceChannelId)!;
+
+      // Remove user if already present in this channel
+      if (channelMembers.has(payload.userId)) {
+        channelMembers.delete(payload.userId);
+      }
+
+      // authenticate user
+      const userCreds = await getUserCredentials(payload.userId);
+      if (!userCreds || !userCreds.token || userCreds.token != payload.userToken) {
+        socket.emit("error-voicechannel", "bad user creds in voice conn");
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // determine if channel is voice channel
+      const channel = await getChannel(payload.voiceChannelId);
+      if (!channel || channel.type !== "voice" || !channel.categoryId) {
+        socket.emit("error-voicechannel", "bad channel or channel type in voice conn");
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // authorize user using role
+      const user = await getUserInformation(payload.userId);
+      const instance = await getInstanceByChannelId(payload.voiceChannelId);
+      const instances = await getInstancesByUserId(payload.userId);
+      if (!user || !instance || !instances || !instances.find(e => e.id === instance.id)) {
+        socket.emit("error-voicechannel", "user not authorized for channel in voice conn");
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // add to map
+      channelMembers.set(payload.userId, socket);
+
+      socket.join(payload.voiceChannelId);
+      socket.emit("joined-voicechannel", { 
+        voiceChannelId: payload.voiceChannelId,
+        connectedUserIds: Array.from(channelMembers.keys()).filter(e => e !== payload.userId),
+        iceServers: getIceServers() // Send ICE server config to client
+      });
+      socket.to(payload.voiceChannelId).emit("user-joined-voicechannel", { userId: payload.userId });
+      
+      // Store userId in socket.data for easier access later
+      socket.data.userId = payload.userId;
+      socket.data.currentVoiceChannelId = payload.voiceChannelId;
+    });
+
+    // Leave voice channel
+    socket.on("leave-voicechannel", async (data) => {
+      const payload = data as {
+        userId: string,
+        userToken: string,
+        voiceChannelId: string,
+      };
+      if (!payload) {
+        socket.emit("error-voicechannel", "no payload in leave voice request");
+        return;
+      }
+
+      const channelMembers = voiceChannelMembers.get(payload.voiceChannelId);
+      if (!channelMembers) {
+        socket.emit("error-voicechannel", "voice channel not found");
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // authenticate user
+      const userCreds = await getUserCredentials(payload.userId);
+      if (!userCreds || !userCreds.token || userCreds.token != payload.userToken) {
+        socket.emit("error-voicechannel", "bad user creds in leave voice request");
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // Remove user from channel
+      if (channelMembers.has(payload.userId)) {
+        channelMembers.delete(payload.userId);
+        
+        // Leave the socket.io room
+        socket.leave(payload.voiceChannelId);
+        
+        // Notify other users in the channel
+        io.to(payload.voiceChannelId).emit("user-left-voicechannel", { 
+          userId: payload.userId, 
+          voiceChannelId: payload.voiceChannelId 
+        });
+        
+        // Clean up empty channels
+        if (channelMembers.size === 0) {
+          voiceChannelMembers.delete(payload.voiceChannelId);
+        }
+        
+        // Confirm to the user that they've left
+        socket.emit("left-voicechannel", { 
+          voiceChannelId: payload.voiceChannelId 
+        });
+        
+        // Clear socket data
+        socket.data.currentVoiceChannelId = undefined;
+      } else {
+        socket.emit("error-voicechannel", "user not in voice channel");
+      }
+    });
+
+    // Handle disconnection
+    socket.on("disconnect", () => {
+      // Get the user ID and current voice channel from socket data
+      const userId = socket.data.userId;
+      const voiceChannelId = socket.data.currentVoiceChannelId;
+
+      // If we have the channel ID stored, use it directly
+      if (userId && voiceChannelId) {
+        const channelMembers = voiceChannelMembers.get(voiceChannelId);
+        if (channelMembers && channelMembers.has(userId)) {
+          // Remove the user from the channel
+          channelMembers.delete(userId);
+          
+          // Notify other members
+          io.to(voiceChannelId).emit("user-left-voicechannel", { 
+            userId,
+            voiceChannelId,
+            reason: "disconnected"
+          });
+          
+          // Clean up empty channels
+          if (channelMembers.size === 0) {
+            voiceChannelMembers.delete(voiceChannelId);
+          }
+        }
+      } else {
+        // If we don't have the info stored, search through all channels
+        voiceChannelMembers.forEach((members, channelId) => {
+          // Use Array.from to convert Map entries to array for iteration
+          Array.from(members.entries()).forEach(([memberId, memberSocket]) => {
+            if (memberSocket.id === socket.id) {
+              // Found the user in this channel
+              members.delete(memberId);
+              
+              // Notify other members
+              io.to(channelId).emit("user-left-voicechannel", { 
+                userId: memberId,
+                voiceChannelId: channelId,
+                reason: "disconnected"
+              });
+              
+              // Clean up empty channels
+              if (members.size === 0) {
+                voiceChannelMembers.delete(channelId);
+              }
+            }
+          });
+        });
+      }
+    });
+
+    // Handle WebRTC Offer
+    socket.on("webrtc-offer", async (data) => {
+      const payload = data as { targetUserId: string; sdp: any };
+      const senderUserId = socket.data.userId;
+      const voiceChannelId = socket.data.currentVoiceChannelId;
+
+      if (!payload || !senderUserId || !voiceChannelId) {
+        socket.emit("error-voicechannel", "Invalid WebRTC offer payload or sender not in voice channel");
+        return;
+      }
+
+      const channelMembers = voiceChannelMembers.get(voiceChannelId);
+      const targetSocket = channelMembers?.get(payload.targetUserId);
+
+      if (targetSocket) {
+        targetSocket.emit("webrtc-offer", {
+          senderUserId: senderUserId,
+          sdp: payload.sdp
+        });
+      } else {
+        socket.emit("error-voicechannel", "Target user not found in voice channel");
+      }
+    });
+
+    // Handle WebRTC Answer
+    socket.on("webrtc-answer", (data: WebRTCAnswer) => {
+      const senderUserId = socket.data.userId;
+      const voiceChannelId = socket.data.currentVoiceChannelId;
+
+      if (!data || !senderUserId || !voiceChannelId) {
+        socket.emit("error-voicechannel", "Invalid WebRTC answer data");
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // Forward the answer to the target user
+      const channelMembers = voiceChannelMembers.get(voiceChannelId);
+      const targetSocket = channelMembers?.get(data.targetUserId);
+
+      if (targetSocket) {
+        targetSocket.emit("webrtc-answer", {
+          senderUserId: senderUserId,
+          sdp: data.sdp
+        });
+      } else {
+        socket.emit("error-voicechannel", "Target user not found in voice channel");
+      }
+    });
+
+    // Handle ICE Candidates
+    socket.on("webrtc-ice-candidate", (data: WebRTCIceCandidate) => {
+      const senderUserId = socket.data.userId;
+      const voiceChannelId = socket.data.currentVoiceChannelId;
+
+      if (!data || !senderUserId || !voiceChannelId) {
+        socket.emit("error-voicechannel", "Invalid ICE candidate data");
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // Forward the ICE candidate to the target user
+      const channelMembers = voiceChannelMembers.get(voiceChannelId);
+      const targetSocket = channelMembers?.get(data.targetUserId);
+
+      if (targetSocket) {
+        targetSocket.emit("webrtc-ice-candidate", {
+          senderUserId: senderUserId,
+          candidate: data.candidate
+        });
+      } else {
+        socket.emit("error-voicechannel", "Target user not found in voice channel");
+      }
+    });
+  });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get the current ICE server configuration.
+ * This function returns STUN servers and includes TURN server credentials 
+ * if they are available in the environment variables.
+ */
+function getIceServers(): IceServerConfig[] {
+  const iceServers: IceServerConfig[] = [
+    { urls: 'stun:stun.l.google.com:19302' },
+    { urls: 'stun:stun1.l.google.com:19302' },
+  ];
+
+  // Add own STUN server if configured
+  const stunServerUrl = process.env.STUN_SERVER_URL;
+  if (stunServerUrl) {
+    iceServers.push({ urls: stunServerUrl });
+  }
+
+  // Add TURN server if configured in environment variables
+  const turnServerUrl = process.env.TURN_SERVER_URL;
+  const turnUsername = process.env.TURN_SERVER_USERNAME;
+  const turnCredential = process.env.TURN_SERVER_CREDENTIAL;
+
+  if (turnServerUrl && turnUsername && turnCredential) {
+    iceServers.push({
+      urls: turnServerUrl,
+      username: turnUsername,
+      credential: turnCredential,
+    });
+  }
+
+  return iceServers;
+}
diff --git a/concord-server/src/validators/realtimeValidator.ts b/concord-server/src/validators/realtimeValidator.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..859b4e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/concord-server/src/validators/realtimeValidator.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import { z } from "zod";
+
+export const postMessageToChannelSchema = z.object({
+  instanceId: z.uuidv7(),
+  categoryId: z.uuidv7(),
+  channelId: z.uuidv7(),
+  userId: z.uuidv7(),
+  content: z.string().min(1).max(2000),
+  repliedMessageId: z.uuidv7().optional(),
+  token: z.string(),
+});
+
+//TODO: add more realtime related validators as needed
+
+export type PostMessageToChannelInput = z.infer<
+  typeof postMessageToChannelSchema
+>;
+//TODO: create more input schemas for other realtime actions