Hold the Phone: Modem Speed Is Picking Up

In a development that could strengthen Rockwell International Corp.’s foothold on the computer modem industry, the company said it has developed a new technology that could nearly double modem speeds over standard telephone lines.

The company’s Semiconductor Systems unit in Newport Beach said it plans to demonstrate at this fall’s Comdex electronics show in Las Vegas a modem technology capable of receiving data at 56 kilobits per second, far faster than the 28.8-Kbps modems most users rely on today.

That could dramatically speed up computer communications. Computer users would spend far less time waiting for pictures on the World Wide Web to take shape on their screens, for instance, or for the latest version of Netscape software to finish downloading.

One of the key advantages of the technology is that it does not require a special high-speed phone line.

“You’re going to use this modem on your standard analog line,” said Armando Geday, vice president and general manager of the Semiconductor Systems division. “You don’t need to call the phone company or cable company and install them. You just buy this modem and make sure your Internet service provider” is using the same technology.

This new technology does not come close to the speeds promised by cable modems that are being tested in several markets around the country. Cable modems, which link PCs to the Internet through cable television lines, are reportedly up to 350 times faster than regular modems.

But Geday pointed out that cable modems are costlier and have several drawbacks, including the fact that they are only capable of receiving data. Those who wish to send data back “upstream” need a separate telephone line.

Rockwell does not make complete modems, but supplies the computer chip sets used in about 70% of the world’s modems. This new technology probably will help the company protect, if not expand, that market share.

The new technology is not expected to hit the market until mid-1997. Geday declined to speculate on what 56-Kbps modems might cost, except to say that prices would probably be higher than existing modems, which generally cost about $150.

Greg Miller covers high technology for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-7830 and at greg.miller@latimes.com