Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : LAST MILE TECHNOLOGIES - Let's Discuss Them Here -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Frank A. Coluccio who wrote (3953)	5/31/1999 12:16:00 PM
From: gdichaz	Respond to of 12823

Frank: Thanks. Your link is excellent in itself as a summary on use of electric wires as a means of transmitting data, and leads out to other sources on subsidiary info. Very helpful. This subject has interested me for the last couple of years since I began to read about Nortel Networks (NT)' s experiments in Europe (the UK specifically) with power companies. Early on, the bottleneck for the US was considered to be the step down near each home, so the expectation was that Europe would be first in the use of this approach. Have heard nothing re that for months. Perhaps this is because NT is not giving it priority now but concentrating on fiber optics and wireless. Curious how this new company gets around technology bottleneck that was supposed to be a problem in the US. Respect, Chaz

To: Frank A. Coluccio who wrote (3953)	5/31/1999 7:18:00 PM
From: Darren DeNunzio	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 12823

Why re-ignite? If this were a viable solution, you would not need to re-ignite it. Let it rest in peace (R.I.P). Some addictions are hard to break. Those of you who were born with a copper spoon in your mouth, are going to have to accept that wireline technologies such as copper, cable and fiber are not going to be viable solutions. Local area network and wide area network capacities are keeping pace with the tremendous growth in data traffic, but the "local loop bottleneck" between them is getting worse. During many powerline transmission tests last year in the US, the maximum transmission speed were just around 10 megabits per second. While elsewhere in the world where 220v AC is standard, powerline transmission may be a short-term solution. Attempts by Telco's to prolong the inevitable demise of the aging voice-grade copper lines using xDSL technology are plagued by limitations on distance, copper quality, and, ironically, bandwidth. Cable plants will face similar bandwidth problems as capacity reaches its maximum. And fiber, while offering plenty of bandwidth, at $250,000 per mile to install, is too expensive to justify trenching to any but the very largest commercial buildings. The only solution that will be economically viable is wireless broadband access (WBA) extensions from existing high-speed fiber rings. This technology will also one day reach capacity. But unlike a wired solution, wireless scalability is achieved quickly and economically by replacing the hardware at the first and last mile. No trenching that long middle mile. Hope you enjoyed the holiday.

To: Frank A. Coluccio who wrote (3953)	6/1/1999 3:29:00 PM
From: WTC	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12823

Ah, yes, Media Fusion ... Take a look, below, at a summary of their comments to the FCC on the NOI for Advanced Telecom Services (sorry, I only have the summary machine-readable, the full comments came to me by fax. I would say this summary is pretty good.) Many on the thread can decide for themselves if these guys know what they are talking about. I prefer to reserve comment. MEDIA FUSION · Expects its technology can be deployed efficiently and economically world-wide, ensuring that it will be affordable to all (every home or office that has an electrical outlet), including schools, libraries, health care institutions, low income consumers and developing countries. (p.2) · Has completed the design and laboratory testing stages of its proprietary network system and is well positioned to finalize the construction, installation, and testing of its first system by the end of 1999. (p.3) · FCC should find that this technological development affirmatively services the public interest, consistent with Sec. 706 and Section 7 of the Comm. Act. The FCC should ensure that services using this new technology are not subject to unnecessary regulation, as an over-regulatory approach could stifle their successful deployment to the mass market. (p.3) Regulators must be careful not to saddle new technologies with regulatory baggage of past regimes. (p.8) · Electrical network, with its high transmission power lines, offers several key advantages over other wired transmission media with respect to provision of high-speed advanced services: 1) long distance signal carriage, carrying signals up to 2000 mils with no signal regeneration required; 2) fueled by magnetic fields created by alternating current, signals are pulled across wires on the electric grid at near light speed, with any input on the grid instantly known, and every part of the electric grid (including every plug and outlet) “hot” with respect to every other; 3) electric infrastructure, with its analog electric waves, possess enormous potential information carrying capacity, with high resolution and efficiency, in contrast to ATM and other digital, packet-based technologies which naturally result in efficiency losses; 4) electrical grid has no topology limitations, avoiding the burdens of conventional telephone technology, including routers, bridges, gateways, and outdated central office software and switches. (pp.4-5) · Media Fusion's Advanced Sub-Carrier Modulation (ASCM) technology overcomes current obstacles preventing use of powerlines for communications (e.g., line noise, electrical load imbalances, and the existence of transformers that disintegrate communications signals). The technology inscribes data within the natural low frequency bandwidth of the electric wave to transmit information and uses signal processing equipment that identifies all data and frequencies riding within the wave and converting them into understandable form in real time to receive info. (p.5) · In contrast to other infrastructures, powerline communications will be compatible worldwide, as magnetic fields, exist regardless of whether the system is 60 Hz (US) or 50 Hz (Russia). · Expects its technology will be economical with average hardware cost per consumer in the range of $55 per-house with no installation costs (compared with average per-modem cost of up to $300 for DSL and cable modem-based systems, both of which require professional installation). (pp.6-7) · Widespread availability of powerline communications holds promise as an economic means to serve the nation's elementary and secondary schools and classrooms, as required in Sec. 706, by reducing transmission and other costs (e.g., wiring and equipment costs). (p.7) · As new technologies emerge, it is essential that the FCC refrain from requiring a particular regulatory classification so that technology and economics, rather than regulation can guide the deployment of advanced services. (p.8) · The FCC and the states must be mindful of the incentives of incumbent providers and be prepared to act in the event they impede the competitive provision of advanced services. (p.8) ### Pages 4-5 present apparently simple electromagnetic fields and access management concepts that are, unfortunately, beyond my grasp.