3Com and Suburban Cable Bring High-Speed Internet
Access to Mid-Atlantic Cable Subscribers
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 13, 1997--3Com Corporation
(NASDAQ:COMS), an industry leader in data networking solutions, today announced it is supplying cable modems and other high-speed data-over-cable products to residential customers of Suburban Cable.
3Com began shipping its 3Com(R) External Cable Modem to domestic and international cable companies in August.
The 3Com solution purchased by Suburban Cable includes 3Com External Cable Modems and associated head-end controller equipment, EtherLink(R) III network interface cards and 3Com's Cable Ethernet Installation Software. 3Com's complete data-over-cable solution enables data communications over existing coaxial cable systems and advanced hybrid fiber/coaxial (HFC) networks. This end-to-end solution for residential, educational and commercial markets extends from switches and routers at the cable head-end, to cable modems and network interface cards in a subscriber's home or office computer.
Suburban Deploying Internet Access to Residential Customers
Owned by Lenfest Communications, Suburban Cable is one of the nation's largest cable providers, with more than 1.4 million homes passed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. The company, based in Oaks, Pa., has tested and purchased 3Com products for its Internet Cable Access business and will begin offering the complete data-over-cable solution initially to about 100,000 residences served by Suburban Cable's two-way-enabled systems.
''We are confident that 3Com's cable solution will provide our subscribers with the fastest, most reliable Internet access and are committed to working with them as we expand deployment of our cable networking solutions,'' said Stephen Buerkle, director of Internet services for Suburban Cable.
''We also anticipate the availability of MCNS, both two-way and telco-return products from 3Com in the near future.'' MCNS stands for the Multimedia Cable Network Systems, a consortium of cable companies interested in deploying high-speed data communications systems on cable television systems.
Suburban Cable is one of the first cable companies to complete an extensive infrastructure using SONET across the majority of its operating area, providing customers with reliable and cost-effective transmission of data-over-cable services.
In addition to providing links to existing local and global content, Suburban Cable is creating a wide variety of content including shopping, community and educational activities in each of its many neighborhoods served.
3Com Offers End-to-End Cable Solution
The 3Com Cable Modem, based on ATM technology, is manufactured and sold by 3Com. This product is the result of a licensing agreement and joint development activity between 3Com and Com21 that leverages 3Com's data networking expertise and Com21's advanced broadband cable technology to offer customers a comprehensive, end-to-end solution.
The EtherLink III network interface card is the world's best selling Ethernet card, offering superior performance with 3Com's patented Parallel Tasking(R) architecture. In addition, the EtherLink III card provides unsurpassed reliability that enables cable companies to minimize support time and cost.
The 3Com Cable Ethernet Installation Software significantly cuts cost and time of installing and configuring the Ethernet connectivity in the cable modem configuration. The software, operating under Windows 95, automates installation of 3Com's EtherLink III network interface cards in home PCs and ensures the configuration and verification of Internet connectivity between the PC and the cable modem head-end.
3Com Committed to Industry-Standard Technology
3Com is committed to standards and will be shipping telco-return modems this month based on the industry-standard Multimedia Cable Network System (MCNS) specifications. Two-way, MCNS-compliant modems are expected to be available in early 1998. The 3Com solution enables a single Total Control(TM) remote access server to support both telco-return and two-way modems in the same chassis, sharing the same downstream channels.
Cable companies seeking additional information about 3Com's data-over-cable solution should call Donna L. Sellers at 408/326-1728 or email Donna_Sellers@3Com.com. |
