"100 times faster" is also the language used by the cable companies and
vendors of MCNS cable modems to describe their products. $200 price
point and retail availability are also part of that business model. The
"up to" might mean cable modems are one of a number of alternatives
being considered for the last mile. Cisco has made a significant and
apparently successful jump into the cable modem business so I suspect
that's at least part of the plan.
Doug Stanfield Oceanic Cable
Data Networking Manager 200 Akamainui St.
dougs@oceanic.com Mililani, HI 96789
>"Up to 100 times faster than conventional modems" is said in
their
>press release.
>Perhaps this $200 unit is the NT1-equivalent. If so, it's damn
cheap.
>If not, why isnt billing built into the customer-end equipment?
A $200 ADSL modem sounds about right and the billing will most
likely be in
the router/switch you are connected to, not prem-based.
The Cisco box that you are referring to is the -very- cool UBR7246. Cisco
is also working on many cable system integration projects...can't say
exactly who (NDA), but suffice it to say the UBR gear works wonderfully and
with Road Runners gear capable of doing voice, the last mile issue goes away
in a hurry.
Derek
I dont think that is what was implied off their web page press release
(really easy to find, goto their page, goto press releases it should be the
first one or two 
They said that they would provide online access, multiple voice calls,
faxes, etc at the same time on an existing telephone line (I read 'an
existing telephone line' to be a pair of wires, however they may be using 2
pair since most houses are wired with that)..
But you are supposed to get everything at the same time on the same wire..
Cable modems for the last mile wouldnt allow this.. xDSL wouldnt allow
this, at least not in its present implementation..
I think the marketing guys made a promise or two that they cannot yet
deliver (however the article did say that there were a few new patents on
this technology, which means that its new and buggy more than likely
---Reply on mail from Doug Stanfield about Sprint's New ION products
"100 times faster" is also the language used by the cable companies and
vendors of MCNS cable modems to describe their products. $200 price
point and retail availability are also part of that business model. The
"up to" might mean cable modems are one of a number of alternatives
being considered for the last mile. Cisco has made a significant and
apparently successful jump into the cable modem business so I suspect
that's at least part of the plan.
---End reply
The Cisco box that you are referring to is the -very- cool UBR7246. Cisco
is also working on many cable system integration projects...can't say
exactly who (NDA), but suffice it to say the UBR gear works wonderfully and
with Road Runners gear capable of doing voice, the last mile issue goes away
in a hurry.
Derek
No, I think they mean H.323 (voice over IP). Then you just need a box at
the customer end to split out the voice packets to a telephone, and a phone
switch that can send voice calls to IP.
--Dean