Advantages of Cable Modems

The advantages of cable over telephone are dramatic:

• High transmission speeds
• Lines are always open (no dialing in, no busy signals)
• Multiple users (including full cable TV) on a single coax connection
• Doesn't tie up your phone line
• High speed gives you true multimedia capabilities

What advantages do cable modems have over ISDN?

• Cable modems will enable data connections of much higher speeds than ISDN. ISDN transmits and receives at speeds of 64kbps and 128 kbps. Cable modems will be able to receive data at up to 10 Mbps and send data at speeds up to 2 Mbps (some up to 10 Mbps). However, this is not the only advantage of a cable modem.

• It is well known that the installation of an ISDN data connection for a residential subscriber is a very complicated process. The home user often has to act as his or her own system integrator. Installation requires careful integration of the telephone company service, the terninal adapter, the computer system, and the software. Service from the cable company will likely result in a technician bringing the modem to your home, installing the modem, installing the necessary software, and when the technician leaves your house, you will be up and operating. This places the installation and activation burden on the cable company rather than on the subscriber.

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