Have modems finally reached their limit?

[luisr]

My first modem was a 300 bps speedster back in 1987. Back then 1,200 was a lot of speed and 2,400 were beginning to appear and looked like broadband looks now. By then it was said that regular telephone lines could not support anything faster than 4,800 then someone came up with a 9,600 bps modem.

This cycle kept repeating every few years, with someone telling that the limit would be so much then some company comes up with a faster modem. Now we are up to 56K (in theory) which was the last absolute limit the phone lines could supposedly handle.

Have we finally reached this limit? I have been using a 56K modem longer than any other speed before and I have never heard so far anything in the works faster than 56K for analog phone lines. Has the arrival of broadband to the consumer inhibited further research and development in the analog modem market?

[Kubie]

luisr, since the FCC restricts the speed to 53,000, I would say that the modems have reached their limit. Plus, since cable, dsl, satelite, and wireless are taking hold, my opinion is that modem research may hit the bricks. Dialup may become a thing of the past.
Carl

[HAL9000]

The only thing that I use my modem for anymore is faxing, and even this can be done through e-mail now.

[LawyerRon]

Another downside to the modem is that it still must use analog technology. It converts the analog signal on the telco line to a digital signal the computer can use.

[RJ]

Luisr, DSL can be used with an analog line, too, so you don't have to get ISDN as well if you want faster than 56K.

RJ

[glc]

The new V.92 standard was *supposed* to increase the max theoretical connect speed to 64k, but I think this went by the wayside. I think your observation is a combination of factors - widespread use of broadband as you indicated, and there *is* a finite limit to just how much you can do with analog. Telcos have no incentive whatsoever to improve the bandwidth of analog VOICE grade lines.

RJ - DSL is not analog - it is digital. True, it uses a simple copper twisted pair, but it is a digital end-to-end technology. Yes, you can "piggyback" it with your analog voice line but the data stream is 100% digital.

[luisr]

I see. However, when you live in an area where the cable company promised broadband service two years ago the phone company offers a pricey ADSL service, the old-fashioned analog modem will still be the way to go for a while.