This month I want to talk about a new modem standard that is currently being implemented. The new standard is called V.92, and is an improvement of the old standard of V.90. First let me explain: V.90 is the basic standard used by most modems for a 56k connection speed. There are other standards, like Flex56, but V.90 has become the better choice and is supported by almost all ISPs in the country.
However, I believe that only 10% of all telephone lines are truly capable of getting an actual connection speed of 56k. Several of my clients use modems extensively and none ever gets a true 56K. Most were connecting at 48k or 40k, and some could only connect at 33k and 28k. Some had really bad lines and were getting less than 24k connection speeds. They even purchased the best modems in the business and could never get any better connections than 28k. Only one of my clients had 53k, and their offices are directly across the street from the main branch of the telephone company.
There is no sure way of knowing whether you can connect at 56k without trying a 56k modem and using the standard that your ISP supports. If you are getting above 50k, you are lucky and can try the new standard that is coming out. That is, if your ISP supports V.92. Here are some features:
Increased Upstream Rates. The V.92 specification will allow a PCM upstream at rates from 24,000 bps to 48,000 bps. The rate will increment in steps of 1.333k as in V.90. So, upstream rates could be 24k, 25.3k, 26.6k, 28k, etc. While the specification allows a 48k rate, it may be as elusive as 56k with V.90.
Faster Handshaking. The time to establish a connection may be reduced.
Call Waiting Support. The amount of time you can place your Internet connection on hold while taking another call will be up to your ISP: the V.92 recommendation will permit ISPs to set their modems to wait for 0-16 minutes, or to wait indefinitely. V.92-client modems may include software that will warn the user when the ISP-determined timeout approaches.
Some modems may allow downloaded upgrades to support the new standard, like some recently-purchased 3Com modems. These have firmware available to download with a program to flash burn the old modem to the new standard. If your modem is older and does not have the download available for free, you can purchase an upgrade for a small price ranging from $60.00 to $90.00.
Look for this new standard and see what your ISP is doing in this arena. If they plan on doing full support and you are getting the higher connection speeds, then you might want to upgrade your modem to support this new standard. If however, you are still only getting 28k, there is no real reason to upgrade yet.
