Modem Technologies

Before proceeding too far in this discussion, a quick review of modem technology is probably in line. Modems,or modulator/demodulators, were designed to move data across the voice communications network. Users still struggle to transmit data across the voice networks at speeds up to 33,600 bps. Even with the newer modems called the V.90, which are supposed to operate at 56 Kbps, we still see significant reductions in speed. Although this may seem like high-speed communication, our demands and needs for faster communications have quickly out-stripped the capabilities of our current modem services, making the demand for newer services more evident.High-speed modems could be produced, but the economics and variations on the wiring system prove this some what impractical. Instead, the providers looked for a better way to provide data communications that mimic the digital transmission speeds we readily accept.

Using the telephone company's voice services, the end user installs a modem on the local loop. This modem is the data circuit-terminating equipment (DCE) for the link. A modem is used to communicate across the wide-area networks. The ILEC installs a voice-grade line on the copper cable plant and allows the end user to connect the modem. The modem then converts the data into an analog signal. There is no magic in modem communications today, but in the early days of data communications, this was considered voodoo science. The miracle of data compression and other multibit modulation techniques quickly expanded the data rates from 300 bps to today's 33.6 Kbps. Newer modems are touted to handle data at speeds of up to 56 Kbps,but few come close to these rates. So, the reality of all the pieces combined still has the consumer operating at approximately 33.6 Kbps.