• Recommend:
• 0 Comments

U.S. Robotics Sets Cable Modem Trials in Midwest Cities

For about $300, you can get a modem that delivers data at 27 mbps.

By Bill Snyder, PCWorld   

USR has not yet priced either the service or the cable modems that subscribers will need to connect their PCs to the system. However, one USR executive said that the modems, which will be available at retail stores, will probably cost about the same as a high-end analog modem--roughly $300--and will be available in both internal and external versions. The modems would be far cheaper and far faster than a typical ISDN setup available today.

The service will use a telco-return architecture, which means that data moves from the operator%squots server to the user%squots home through cable. Data originating from the home PC, however, will have to travel over the much slower telephone system. Once operators make the major capital investment necessary to allow the pipeline two-way capability, upgrading the rest of the system will be relatively inexpensive, according to USR.

But it may be some time before many homes are ready for more advanced service. Lisa Pelgrim, an analyst with the market research firm Dataquest, estimated that only about 15 percent of U.S. homes with cable service are wired for two-way transmission. She also said that about 80,000 two-way cable modems are expected to be sold this year.