New technology from PairGain Technologies may give Internet users at home high-speed online access using existing phone lines. The Tustin, California, company plans to roll out its Megabit Modem and EtherPhone products in phases, officials said.
PairGain's CopperOptics technology will give home users and telecommuters access to online services and the Net at speeds faster than ISDN. According to company officials, the technology will deliver data at speeds from 320 kbps to 6 mbps. ISDN delivers data at 128 kbps.
The Megabit Modem, due out in several months, has a 10BaseT port that connects to the PC, and a network port that is then connected to a high-bit-rate digital subscriber line (HDSL). The company plans to deliver both a 1.5-mbps downstream device and a 6-mbps version.
PairGain's EtherPhone is slated for delivery during the first half of this year. Aimed at home users, the device will let consumers link to an online service and carry on a voice conversation using a single telephone line, officials said.
Pricing for both the Megabit Modem and the EtherPhone will be around $995.