Dave, I am not really interested in Satellite technology. I think a system that is ubiquitous,and cheap is the answer. Sanders a division of Lockheed Martin is running a system for Cox in Southern California that uses microcell technology to run PCS over HFC. This is a wireless system that overlaps about every 2-5 KM,there is a nice article in CED magazine a couple of months ago on it. Now we also have LMDS that runs a fixed system over high frequency,low power. Very similar to the microcell technology of Lockheed,in that it is low power,and requires many cheap transmitters,situated about every 2-5 KM.
MCNS has now just recently taken up encryption and I believe they have a standard set for it.
On the open systems,that push is coming from MSFT,as they want to get their different platfroms adopted,from Web Tv,to Windows CE,to a new on-line fast internet service they want adopted.
Here are the specs on Terayon and BAY LANCity.
Terayon has announced that it will develop a MCNS DOCSIS compliant cable
modem to be known as the Universal Cable Modem. The unit will be capable
of supporting three modes of operation including MCNS, and its current
and next generation S-CDMA based systems. The MCNS system will be built
to Cisco's design and use cells from VLSI for its MCNS ASIC. Universal
will support up to 30 Mbps in the upstream and downstream and be capable
of allocating bandwidth in both directions. The PHY layer will
incorporate support for S-CDMA, 32QAM, 64QAM, 16QAM and QPSK. Terayon
plans to integrate both the MCNS and S-CDMA technology on a single
transceiver chip.
The modem is expected to be available by the end of 1998.
While Terayon initially plans to build its MCNS/S-CDMA cable modem to
work with Cisco's headend, the company intends to develop its own
headend system that will support all the potential operating modes of
Universal. In addition, it plans to design this next generation system
to function without the use of an expensive Cisco router. By building a
complete system on its own technology, Terayon expects to keep its
system price at or under the market price for competing MCNS systems. To
further reduce costs and increase S-CDMA's market presence, Terayon will
also license its technology. Partnership agreements are expected to be
announced in the first half of 1998.
Terayon
terayon.com
Bay Networks Introduces Its Complete MCNS Compliant System
Specifications & Product Strategy
Bay Networks has released specifications for its MCNS complaint system
to be known as Generation 4. The best-effort system is expected to be
available in May of '98.
Generation 4
Functionality
-10 Mbps Ethernet network interface
-Single 6 MHz 64 or 256QAM downstream channel
-Single variable rate QPSK or 16QAM upstream channel [320 to 10Mbps]
-Modified transparent bridge
CMTS
-10/100 Mbps Ethernet network interface
-6 MHz 64 or 256QAM downstream channel [27 or 36 Mbps user data]
-Variable-rate QPSK or 16QAM upstream channel
-RS-232-C diagnostic port
Hiram |
