Intel Corp, Microsoft Corp and Compaq Computer Corp are putting their weight behind a new high speed internet access effort using standard telephone lines, backed by five of the largest US local telephone companies. According to a New York Times report, the initiative, which centers around DSL Digital Subscriber Line technology, will be announced next week at the ComNet show in Washington DC. The five phone companies backing the deal include four of the five Regional Bells and GTE Corp. The intention is to pin down standards for DSL services that are cheaper to implement than current implementations, so actual implementation is still some time off. Rockwell International Corp and Northern Telecom Ltd have already announced plans to support Rockwell’s proprietary CDSL flavor with similar aims in mind (CI No 3,293). But the weight of the big three, and support from SBC Communications Inc, BellSouth Corp, US West Communications Inc and Ameritech Corp, which is already partnering with Microsoft on DSL technology (CI No 3,309), looks like swinging the advantage the other way. Only Bell Atlantic Corp is currently wavering over the proposals, claims the report. One company that looks as if its will benefit from the publicity is tiny Bedford, Massachusetts-based Aware Inc, whose Discrete Multi Tone transmission system flavor of DSL is said to be the technology underlying the effort. Only last week, Aware demonstrated its G.Lite asynchronous digital subscriber line modem, due to be sold for around $300, which enables data from the internet to be received at 1.5Mbps, although sending is slower at 512 Kbps. For full speed, subscribers must be situated less than two miles from a telephone switch, which around 80% of US homes are, claims the company. G.Lite doesn’t require the installation of a splitter, hardware for separating the ADSL signals from the telephone signals, which currently has to be installed at customer premises by the carrier company. Texas Instruments Inc recently acquired Aware’s main rival, Amati Communications Corp (CI No 3,294).
