56 kbps or bust
Motorola joins the growing list of modem makers announcing plans to introduce new high-speed 56-kbps modems.
Motorola said in a prepared statement that it intends to develop and introduce its own 56-kbps modems based on the "impending" but as yet unnamed "V" standard in 1997. The current standard for consumer modems is V.34, which allows for data transmission at rates up to 28.8-kbps, while ISDN, for example, can transmit and receive data at up to 128 kbps.
Motorola and other modem vendors are expected to support the standards effort later this month in discussions with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the international standards body, for adoption.
In addition to Motorola, Rockwell (ROK) says it expects to demonstrate 56-kbps modem transmission capabilities at the November 1996 Comdex show in Las Vegas. Rockwell intends to introduce a family of modem chip sets implementing its new technology. The company is also working with Hayes Microcomputer Products, a vendor that is planning to jump on the 56-kbps bus next year.
US Robotics says it has plans to roll out 56-kbps modems late in the fourth quarter of this year.