anyone see this from the l.a. times --???>
Monday, February 2, 1998
HEARD ON THE BEAT
New Direction for Data
By JUBE SHIVER JR.
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n ambitious bid by three personal-computing
giants to promote a new high-speed Internet
standard for ordinary copper phone lines may already be
falling victim to rivals who claim to have a better
mousetrap.
US West Communications Group, one of the five
regional Bell companies that pledged to joined Compaq
Computer Corp. (), Intel Corp. (
) and Microsoft Corp. () in
creating new, high-speed Internet pipelines for business
and residential users, said it will initially use a version of
high-speed data-transmission technology that does not
conform to the new personal-computing standard.
The new technology, known as asymmetric digital
subscriber line, or ADSL, has been eagerly awaited by
Internet users because it costs only slightly more than
standard telephone service yet can deliver data up to 30
times faster than today's computer modems.
Greg Gum, executive director of megabit services at
US West, said the company will initially use a version of
ADSL offered by Paradyne Corp. of Largo, Fla.,
because its products will be available in 60 days and will
be easier to configure and install than competing
technologies.
"We are continuing to evaluate a number of different
[ADSL] technologies," Gum said. "But we are looking
to adopt and accelerate the deployment of [Paradyne's]
technology for our customer base because it is here right
now."
US West has announced it will aggressively deploy
ADSL and make the service available throughout its
14-state service area in the next six months.
In hedging their bet on ADSL, US West officials say
they are particularly impressed that Paradyne's ADSL
products work more like current computer modems than
the standard being proposed by Intel, Microsoft and
Compaq.
Up to eight Paradyne modems can be plugged in to
phone outlets in a home. By contrast, the PC standard
allows only one modem per household phone line.
In addition, Paradyne's equipment consumes less
power and generates less heat. However, it delivers data
at only about two-thirds the standard speed envisioned
by the PC-Bell coalition.
An official with Paradyne, which has been working
on the technology for 18 months, acknowledged that the
company could have timed its product introduction
better. Paradyne unveiled its technology at a computer
industry trade show in Washington, where the PC-Bell
coalition also announced its new standard.
"We did begin our disclosure process a little late,"
said Frank Wiener, vice president and general manager
of Paradyne. "But since we've announced our product,
the response has been extremely interesting. . . . We've
been contacted by several of the phone companies."
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