The New York Times reported on BPL. Internet over the power lines on Oct17,2005. I have been told that the next big thing is high speed dial-up. What keeping the FCC from granting faster modem speeds? How fast can dial-up go? I have not been able to find any information on this subject. Thanks in advance. Fred

ScottGem

Not sure why the FCC has capped modem transmissions at 53K. I think the restriction is the phone networks. The high speed dialup services, like NetZero use caching and compression techniques with an acceleration server to speed things up, but still are restricted by the 53K limit for the actual transmission.

Googling "High Speed Dialup" found several references.

Curlyben

With regards to so called "High Speed Dialup", as Scott has pointed out this is achieved by cacheing web sites.

Dial up speeds will NEVER compete with DSL or Cable as there is a max transmission rate for dial up that is around 60k.
Where as the tech used in DSL/Cable is completely different and also Gigabit speeds to be achieved with ease.

Hpoe this helps a littel

radio309

Thanks to all who posted.I knew about Net zero and Peoplepc so called High speed dail-up. I was also told that dail-up will never be as fast dsl or cable.I use cable and a old used computer. Cable is great. I was told that dail-up will be a lot faster if the FCC grants faster transfer rates. He told me the technology is in place. Cable is four times the cost of Net Zero. I could not find on the net how fast dail-up could be if this technology was in place. To all have a great week.

ScottGem

Did you try fcc.gov? Did you ask the person who told you this where to find more info?

I have heard nothing about speeding up modem transfer rates. As far as I'm aware, the current technology has reached a technological ceiling. To increase speeds would probably mean changing the phone system infrastructure. Doing that would require an investment in equipment that would jack up access prices.

With talk about universal wireless, I just can't see the telcos investing in this.

Press2Esc

Actually, the FCC regulate telecom, but dialup limitations are a result of the telco only providing you a voice channel of 64k. Remember, like a fax machine, your dialup connection is actually a "voice call (tones)"... This is why you can hear the data.

BTW, the faster phone connection has been around for years - it is called xDSL. This is digital data riding on top of the copper phone lines. Simular to the way the cable broadband folks ride on top of their "copper" (coax).

Since analog modem technology is a technology on the waning side, current compression and error correction techniques are likely as fast as they are going to get... In short, the digital version of modem technology is DSL.

P2E

NeedKarma

As mentioned by others the dial-up modem transfer rates limits have been reached. The 53 kbps is a physical/electrical limit of data transfer using analog systems and phone lines. The game changes when the equipment changes both at your end (dsl/cable digital modems) and on the provider's end (dsl equipment for telco/2-way repeaters for cableco). Either way the cable and telco companies will make you more for their investment and maintenance of additional equipment.

Press2Esc

Although very viable, BPL is still an evolving technology. I suspect main-stream availability is still a ways out (2-3+ years) and the power company/co-ops still have yet to start their real learning curve. IMHO, BPL could be the defacto for broadband industry. Like the cable & DSL peers, BPL providers need to get thru issues such as marketing, support, pricing, capitalization staffing, profitability, regulatory, etc, etc....

P2E

radio309

Thanks to all who posted.I was able to obtain more information. ISDN is one answer to high speed internet over the phone lines.My friend told me he had been told that dial-up can be five times as fast as 56k if the FCC grants higher transfer rates. I told him I was not able to find any information that this transfer rate could be obtained. The posts tell me this transfer rate will never happen. Thanks to all and have a great week.