A speakerphone arbitration method is used to eliminate the effects of echo in imperfect telephone circuits. The method assumes that speech energy received at the speaker phone is an echo, unless the speech energy has characteristics that indicate it is not echo, such as the duration of the speech energy, and the time at which the speech energy is received relative to the time when the user of the speakerphone finishes speaking, or pauses while speaking. The method also may allow arbitration if the speech energy is more energetic than a typical echo, regardless of the duration or time when it is received.