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Technology Stocks : COMS & the Ghost of USRX w/ other STUFF -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jerry Ginz who wrote (7243)	10/22/1997 10:16:00 AM
From: Jerry Ginz	Respond to of 22053

3Com And Bay To Test Cable Modem Interoperability By Joy Russell TechWire - October 20, 1997 3Com and Bay Networks will conduct joint interoperability testing to produce a Multimedia Cable Network System (MCNS)-compliant modem and cable modem termination products.The two data networking companies are looking to speed the availability of industry-standard cable access systems so end users can receive data instantaneously over the Internet. 3Com and Bay said they are also welcoming any additional data-over-cable companies to participate in this testing to bring the MCNS specification to a standard completion. The MCNS specification is poised to become the standard design for the development and deployment of high-speed, data-over-cable systems for two-way cable-based service. Under the research guide of CableLabs, in Louisville, Colo., companies involved in developing the specification include Comcast, Cox Communications, MediaOne, Tele-Communications Inc. (TCI), and Time Warner Cable. 3Com and Bay said they will deliver two-way MCNS-compliant systems next year. "When our products ship, we [3Com and Bay] can make sure our products interoperate with each other," said Levent Gun, vice president of engineering for 3Com's Cable Access Division. "To cable companies, this means they will have a choice when they deploy MCNS-compliant modems." The projected market for cable modems can give vendors such as 3Com and Bay a nice chunk of change. Recent research from Ovum indicates the number of shipments of cable modems in North America will reach approximately 6-1/2 million by 2001. By that time, equipment revenue for manufacturers will hit $1.5 billion. "We're seeing the number of units installed over the next three to four years to reach between 5 and 7 million in North America alone, which is why Bay and 3Com is very interested this market," said Karl May, vice president of Bay's Cable-Over-Data Division. "For [Bay] to penetrate this market, we need broad interoperability of vendors' products, which will increase the degree of comfort for cable operators that they can receive interoperable support from several vendors," May said. Interoperability aside, MCNS modem promise to bring higher-speed access to the Internet. "The major thrust is to have high-speed Internet access to data services right into the home and in some cases, rival Ethernet speed in the spaces of hundreds of kilobits and beyond," May said. Without about 65 million households in the United States, the market offers excellent potential if the standards go through, 3Com and Bay said. "Users can access the Internet by turning on their modem just like they have access to channels instantly on their televisions," Gun said.