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3Com Releases Back-End V.90 Code

Will eliminate 56-kbps modem incompatibilities.

By Brian McWilliams, PCWorld   

3Com on Tuesday announced the release of V.90 firmware for its Total Control remote access equipment, which is used by more than 1500 Internet service providers. Now ISPs can begin upgrading their 3Com V.34 and x2 dial-in equipment to support the final standard. That will make ISPs%squot 56-kbps ports accessible at 56-kbps by all V.90 modems, including modems made by 3Com%squots competitors.

Will providers move quickly to upgrade to 3Com%squots V.90 code? Dataquest analyst Lisa Pelgrim says ISPs usually hesitate out of fear of disrupting users or encountering bugs. But Pelgrim predicts that in this case, many will upgrade promptly.

%dquotIt%squots a much easier decision to upgrade from a prestandard technology to the standard than from a standard to a new prestandard,%dquot says Pelgrim. %dquotIt is an easier decision to go from x2 to V.90 than it was to go from V.34 to x2.%dquot

No word yet on V.90 upgrades for any of the Rockwell chip set-based access equipment from Ascend and other vendors. On the client modem side, most vendors are shipping or will soon ship V.90 modems and software upgrades to their existing 56-kbps products.

Also on Tuesday, Boca Research said it is acquiring the modem business of Global Village Communication. The transaction is expected to close in June. Global%squots TelePort 56 was the top-ranked 56-kbps external modem in the latest PC World Top 10 Modems (see link to right). Pelgrim of Dataquest predicts more consolidation among modem companies in the coming months.