Nexabit vows router can unclog Web traffic
boston.com
Internet
By Globe Staff, 08/23/98
The Nexabit high-speed computer router switch stands about 5 feet
high. It is about 2 feet square on each side. It is painted gray with
cerulean blue trim.
The people who designed and financed it, and who are building it, won't
say much about what's inside.
What they do say is that it is 100 times faster than any other switch yet
known for data transmission and it promises to unclog the traffic jams that
now afflict the World Wide Web.
Those jams are increasingly frequent. Last week, the Internet nearly
crashed when thousands of people rushed to download video clips of
President Clinton's speech to the nation about his Monica Lewinsky
testimony, says Mukesh Chatter, president and chief executive of
Nexabit Corp., who is this switch's designer. Much the same thing
happened after Princess Diana's death.
While inviting the press last week to come see the machine, Nexabit
would say little publicly, except that the router has been demonstrated to
be able to move 6.4 trillion bits of data per second.
That's equal to several hundred times the contents of the US Library of
Congress or thousands of full-length Hollywood features.
Chatter, who holds two patents on portions of the switch and with others
has applications pending for 10 more, says only that the design ''is a true
architectural innovation that allows you to bypass semiconductor
technology,'' which is now unable to smoothly handle all the data that
floods the Internet.
Certainly, whatever Nexabit's founders have told investors about their
machine must be convincing.
Last week the company said it has received $20 million in new venture
funding to continue work aimed at bringing the switch to market by the
end of 1999. The new investors include two billionaires - Paul Allen, Bill
Gates's partner in the founding of Microsoft Corp. and Peter Thomson,
an heir to the worldwide publishing and information giant, Thomson
Corp.
Joining in the investment, along with Allen's Vulcan Ventures fund and
Thomson's personal investment, was the venture capital arm of
Hambrecht & Quist, the San Francisco financial firm.
And that's on top of the undisclosed amount that Ray Stata, founder and
retired chairman of Analog Devices Inc., has put into Nexabit since the
company opened its doors in early 1997. Nexabit now has 78 full-time
employees, Chatter says.
Nexabit hopes to outpace its rivals. At least three other companies have
high-speed switches in the works. Nexabit had hoped to have its pilot
models made by October. Chatter now says it's more likely the first
won't be done until November. He said five telecommunications
companies are waiting to test them.
This story ran on page F04 of the Boston Globe on 08/23/98.
c Copyright 1998 Globe Newspaper Company.
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