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v.90 FAQ Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of a 56K modem?
Speed is the primary benefit. Theoretically, you can access the Internet at twice the speed of your old 28.8K modem. A second benefit is the cost of 56K modems: They cost about as much as 28.8K modem did a couple of years ago.
Is a v.90 modem the same as a 56K modem?
No. Though all v.90 modems are 56K modems, not all 56K modems are v.90 modems. A v.90 modem is a 56K modem based on international standards. 56K modems other than v.90 do not conform to the standard and the different technologies used by them are incompatible.
What is v.90?
On February 6, 1998, an international agreement was finally reached which established a single 56K modem standard called v.90. This ended a full year during which there was no standard and two fully incompatible modem technologies, one; K56flex, promoted by Lucent/Rockwell, and the other; x2, by 3Com/USR, were both being touted as the best product for 56K dial-up access. While these other modem types could not communicate with each other at high speed, all v.90 modems will be able to. Once the standard is fully implemented, ISPs like PCFL will no longer need to support two modem technologies and members will be able to purchase a 56K modem from any manufacturer and use it on any 56K dial-up number.
Does my modem support v.90?
While not all modems are ready to accept a v.90 connection, most newer modems can be upgraded via the modem manufacturer's home page.
I've had problems connecting at a true 28.8K with my current modem. Will I achieve a 'true' 56K connection with v.90 or any of the other 56K modems?
Unfortunately, no. The FCC capped certain types of data-transmission rates at 53K, which affects ALL 56K and v.90 modems. More importantly, the AVERAGE connection rate of 56K modems is only in the mid-40K range; most independent testing puts it between 42K and 46K. We at PCFL have connect on our new lines at a steady 49K to 50K. So, clearly 56K is not a guaranteed connection rate. Rather, it is a maximum speed that you'll hope to approach while online.
Are there any more cons to 56K or v.90 modems?
A couple. You can't upload data with your 56K or v.90 modem (your Web page, email, etc.) faster than 33.6K. Also, 56K and v.90 won't work where there are digital signal conversions within a link (as when communicating between the U.S. and Europe).
The above information was provided by V90.com. Visit their Web-site for a more comprehensive look at the v.90 standard.
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