K56Flex Frequently Asked Questions

As taken from Rockwell's K56flex Web Site

What is K56flex technology?

K56flex technology allows a PC user to connect to an Internet Service Provider and receive Web page downloads and other information at as much as twice the speed possible with previous modem technology, under optimal line conditions.   The user's modem must be compatible with he modem equipment at the ISP in order to achieve these high data rates.  Details about how K56flex works are available at http://www.nb.rockwell.com/.

What is the primary benefit of Rockwell K56flex modem chips as compared to those from its competitors?

Choices.  The most important benefit of Rockwell's K56flex technology is that it provides the most choices and the opportunity for the consumer to choose among vendors.  With the backing of so many Internet Service Providers (ISPs), ISP equipment suppliers and modem vendors, and with the previously announced mutual commitment by Rockwell and Lucent to make their 56 Kbps modems interoperable, K56flex technology will give end users many choice regarding price, features, performance, and the geographic location of their suppliers.

Will I get 56 Kbps service with K56flex?  If not, what performance should I expect?

By definition, K56flex technology is designed to provide 56 Kbps connections within the public telephone network.  However, certain configurations of equipment used in the public telephone network introduce noise onto the telephone line.   When this happens, it can adversely affect modem performance, and it reduces the probability of full 56 Kbps performance.

So what kind of speed should I expect?

In field trials that Rockwell has conducted with its customers and ISPs, speeds have been observed from the low 40 Kbps range to the low 50 Kbps range.   Rockwell will continue to make improvements to K56flex technology to optimize its performance in as broad a range of dial-up environments as possible.  Remember, second-generation V.34 products performed significantly better than first-generation V.34 products, and we expect that the same will be true for 56Kbps technology.  The difference is that we have software-downloadable products today and this will make it easier for users to take advantage of new enhancements.

Is there a way to find out before I buy a K56flex modem whether my telephone line will support it?  U.S. Robotics offers a utility to do this, and makes it available on their Web site.  Can I get the same thing for K56flex technology?  If not, will I be able to get my money back if I buy a K56flex modem and my line won't support it?

There is no similar utility available for K56flex.  However, utilities like these are not 100 percent accurate and can often mislead the consumer into making the wrong purchase decision.  Instead, K56flex modems are supported by generous return policies, ranging from 10-day return policies at CompUSA and J&R to 30-day return policies at Best Buy and Fry's.  This way, in the unlikely event that a consumer's line won't support K56flex, the consumer can get a full refund.

If K56flex users try to connect to a non-compatible 56Kbps modem at an ISP, will their connection speed drop all the way back down to 28.8 Kbps or 33.6 Kbps?  What kind of speed characteristics will there be over poor lines?

Until industry standards are finalized, any 56Kbps modem will only be able to achieve rates higher than 33.6 Kbps when connecting to another modem implementing the same technology.  If, due to line conditions, the K56flex modem cannot achieve a full 56 Kbps connection, it will slow down in 2,000 bit per second steps to a lower limit of 32 Kbps, under optimal line conditions.

What ISPs are now activating K56flex technology, and how many points-of-presence (POPs) and Internet subscribers do they represent?

Over 1250 ISPs nationally have announces support for K56flex technology, with over 3750 planned POPs in area codes in all fifty states.  By the end of September, it is estimated that more than 1 million K56flex ports will have been deployed by ISPs in North America, servicing more than 15 million subscribers.

U.S. Robotics claims a maximum speed 53 Kbps, which they say is limited only by the power restrictions imposed by the FCC?  Can K56flex match that speed?

It is important to understand the difference between maximum connect speed and maximum throughput speed.  Consumers should be careful not to evaluate available retail modem products based on raw connect speed, alone.  The more important consideration is how high an effective data throughput rate the modem can maintain.  Some modem manufacturers may claim to establish what appears to be a very high connect speed, only to then down-speed to a lower rate without the user's knowledge.   This results in significantly lower overall effective data throughput.  Yet the data throughput rate is what determines how long it takes to load the Web page, and how long your total connection time and Internet access service charges are going to be while browsing the Web.  Rockwell's approach with K56flex is to provide the proper connect rate that will ultimately ensure the maximum effective data throughput rate.

Why is the majority of the marketplace adopting K56flex technology?

Choices.  First, K56flex technology is the only non-proprietary technology with broad-based support from PC OEMs, ISP equipment manufacturers, consumer modem makers and modem chip suppliers.  This means that consumers get the broadest range of options related to price, features and support.  Second, K56flex is the technology of choice among ISP equipment suppliers who have built the overwhelming majority of the world's Internet access infrastructure.  It is significantly easier and more cost-effective for ISPs to upgrade this Rockwell-based equipment to K56flex technology than it it to convert to all-new equipment based on non-Rockwell modem technology.  Because of this widespread support for K56flex technology, buyers of K56flex modems can be assured that they will have a comprehensive worldwide grid of K56flex-compatible Internet access points.

Does Rockwell continue to have the lion's share of the ISP equipment marketplace that is so critical for the availability of 56 Kbps Internet access service?

According to market analysis by Dataquest, IDC and Rockwell, more than 70 percent of access concentrator ports (which each contain a central site modem) shipped between January 1995 and March 1996 were based on Rockwell modem chipsets.   On February 18, 1997, the independent market research firm Dell Oro published its most recent analysis of the remote access concentrator market, which shows conclusively that K56flex supporter Ascend Communications Inc. is the dominant market share leader in both analog and ISDN remote access concentrator ports.  Rockwell believes that Dell Oro's findings are fair and accurate.  In addition, dataquest has also published similar independent research data which also shows conclusively that the companies who support and are now implementing K56flex-based retail products and central-site equipment represent greater than 70 percent of the total market for both client-side and head-end modems.

What is Rockwell's plan for upgrading its early K56flex modems to assure compatibility with the future ITU standard?

K56flex modem chipsets are software-upgradable to accommodate new enhancements.  We anticipate that we will be providing an upgrade to the ITU to all of our customers when it is standardized.

U.S. Robotics is promising a free upgrade to the ITU implementation.  What about K56flex?

Various modem manufacturers will offer specific programs for the ITU upgrade.  Please refer to them for details.

How long will it be before higher-speed xDSL modems are available, and will those products supercede the 56Kbps modems?

Many companies have begun deployment of xDSL modems.  While they provide higher speed, they also cost more than 56Kbps modems and availability is spotty.  Over the longer term, higher speed access will be a necessity but it is not yet clear exactly what technology will win in the marketplace.  Rockwell is also actively involved in higher-bandwidth technologies, and currently offers a product called the Zip Wire modem that supports full-duplex 674 Kbps transmission in both directions at reasonable prices, over the full 18,000-foot length of the local telephone loop.   However, xDSL technology requires that new equipment be installed at the central office and the user premises, so Rockwell anticipates there will be strong market for K56flex modem chips for quite some time.

Does Rockwell have any plans to combine its K56flex modem products with some of the company's other multimedia and imaging products for videoconferencing and related applications?

The 56 Kbps technology is mainly targeted at Internet access due to the need for a digital connection at the central site and the asymmetric nature of the connection.  However, Rockwell is developing ways to bring higher value to its customers and combining Rockwell technologies is certainly one of the avenues.

What is the status of both U.S. and international standards-development efforts?

Most of the U.S. TIA/TR.30 committee members are now targeting late 1997 for presenting a stable draft specification that can be put to ballot for an ANSI standard.  If approved, this draft standard will serve as the basis for the International Telecommunications Union's (ITU's) eventual worldwide standards for 56Kbps technology.  Additionally, the TR.30 committee is already gathering international input which will be used to speed progress at the ITU.  Things are moving quickly in the U.S., but most think it won't be until late 1997 or early 1998 until an ITU standard is finalized.  By then Rockwell believes that the company will have deployed several million units in the field.  Future Rockwell modems that support an eventual ITU standard will all be able to communicate with the millions of original K56flex modems that are now rolling out into the market.  Consumers won't need to worry about their initial investment in today's first K56 flex modems, as all future products will be "backward-compatible" with them.