3Com Applauds ITU's Final Decision for V.90 56K Standard
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 16, 1998--3Com
Corporation (NASDAQ:COMS) applauds the International
Telecommunications Union's (ITU) final decision regarding the
ratification of the V.90 56K(a) standard at its conference in Geneva,
Switzerland. This decision cements the specifications for the standard
that manufacturers agreed upon at an ITU meeting in February 1998.
"The ITU's decision offers further encouragement to consumers and
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) when considering an upgrade or
deployment of V.90," said Neil Clemmons, vice president of consumer
marketing for 3Com. "As streaming media transforms the way people use
the Web, users will enjoy an improved Internet experience and the
universal compatibility of an official ITU standard."
More than 800 ISPs across North America and nearly 1,500 ISPs
worldwide are now offering live V.90 service. These ISPs include
industry leaders such as America Online, and when combined they
represent nearly 20 million Internet users. In North America, there
are now over 40,000 local dialup numbers that are live with V.90,
making it far and away the world's most widely available high-speed
Internet access technology.
56K modem sales have vastly improved over the past few months,
according to PC Data. Year-to-date through June (1998 vs. 1997), the
number of units sold have increased 7%. Meanwhile, sales for the month
of June, 1998 are up 15% when compared to June, 1997. Additionally, in
its July, 1998 report, research firm Dataquest forecasts an increase
of more than 249% in 56K modems shipped worldwide (1998 vs. 1997).
These figures are particularly significant because June has
traditionally been a slow month for modem sales -- but demand for V.90
continues to grow.
"The final decision of the ITU 56K standard is good news for
modem vendors," said Lisa Pelgrim, senior analyst at Dataquest. "Both
consumer and corporate buyers worldwide are now protected from risk
and have the assurance that comes with international standards. This
means the industry could see increased demand in the last quarter of
1998."
Evolution Of The 56K Standard
In September 1996, 3Com was the first company to submit a
proposal to the ITU calling for a 56K recommendation. The work toward
a standard began in North America within the ITU's Telecommunications
Industry Association (TIA) committee, and in April 1997, the ITU
officially set up a rapporteur's group with the goal of determining an
international 56K standard as quickly as possible.
In February 1998, a 56K standard specification was determined and
assigned an official V-series number -- V.90. The technical aspects of
the determined standard were thereby frozen. Because the technical
aspects of the specification do not change, 3Com began shipping
standards-based products and upgrades in calendar Q1 1998. The
established practice of shipping standards-based products before the
final and formal ratification is clearly a benefit for consumers,
speeding the path toward universal compatibility and interoperability.
At today's meeting, the ITU completed the formalities at which time
the determined 56K recommendation became a "decision," also referred
to as ratification.
About 3Com Corporation
3Com Corporation enables individuals and organizations worldwide
to stay more connected by communicating and sharing information and
resources at anytime, anywhere. As one of the world's preeminent
suppliers of data, voice and video communications technology, 3Com has
delivered networking solutions to more than 200 million customers
worldwide. The company provides large enterprises, network service
providers and carriers, small business and consumers with
comprehensive, innovative information access products and system
solutions for building intelligent, reliable and high performance
local and wide area networks. For further information, visit 3Com's
World Wide Web site at 3com.com, or the press site at
3com.com.
Note: (a) Capable of receiving at up to 56 Kbps and sending at up
to 31.2 Kbps. Due to FCC regulations on power output, receiving speeds
limited to 53 Kbps. Actual speeds may vary. Requires compatible phone
line and server equipment. See www.3com.com/56k for details.
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