Can The 56Kbps Modems Really Deliver? Rockwell and
Ray Van Eng (02/12/97)
But seriously, can the modems really deliver the high speed they promise? That would depend on a lot of things. The new modems work best on an end to end digital network. So one of the biggest bandwidth hurdles is the analog local loop between your modem and the phone company's central switch. Factors such as the line quality, how close you are to the switch etc. limit the 56Kbps modem's performance. By the way, your upstream speed is designed to max out at 33Kbps.
But losing 3kbps is not really such a big deal when you consider that your 56Kbps modem will have to be connected to an equivalent equipment at your Internet service provider (ISP) in order to obtain the top speed. A network software upgrade would also be required from your ISP. To complicate matters further, the two different standards championed by the dual leading contenders, Rockwell (k56flex technology) and U.S. Robotics (x2 technology) are not compatible with each other. An interoperable standard won't be in place until at least the end of this year. That means you may be forced to go with a specific ISP because they happen to support the one standard for the modem that you are using. Rockwell is incorporating the 56Kflex technology and a communication protocol from Microcom into its own chipsets and into networking equipment giant Cisco's products which are very often used by ISPs to hook consumers up to the Internet. The Rockwell and Cisco partnership is crucial in making sure the 56Kflex standard will gain acceptance quickly. However, U.S. Robotics says their x2 technology is widely supported by most major online services and ISPs including America Online, Compuserve, Netcom, Prodigy etc. Furthermore, Logicode announced they will have modems using the x2 technology by the end of February while modems using Rockwell's chipset could be months away. However, after all is said and done, modems are still modems. It is a technology that is widely understood by users. Modems are much easier to install and get up to speed than say the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) which can be configured in more than 2000 ways. Of course, there is the big price advantage. Modem is so much cheaper than ISDN because it works with the ubiquitous plain old telephone system (POTS). Anyway, you really won't want to pay ISDN hourly rates. A typical ISDN net user often ends up paying several hundred dollars a month for access fees. Despite all the problems that users are facing, the 56Kbps modem market looks very promising. According to a recent study by Jupiter Communications, more than 50% of the Internet users will be using the modems based on the 56Kbps technologies in less than two years time. |
© Copyright Ray Van Eng 1997 - 1999. All Rights Reserved.
But
even under the most ideal conditions, an arcane and decades old Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) regulation may limit your downstream (your
provider to you) speed to a maximum of 53 Kbps, although many do expect
the FCC to eventually change the ruling to accommodate the new modems.