The Future of Networks

[KRO...@cs.umass.edu]

I can see two possibilities for bringing networks to the
average consumer: cable tv, and the phone system (perhaps
they will be merged in the future). In terms of cable tv,
I know of one relevant experiment: Stargate. This is a
system for transmitting USENET articles over the vertical
blanking interval of WTBS (Ted Turner's Superstation).
The vertical blanking interval is the black line you see
if your picture starts to roll. If you adjusted the vertical
hold, you could actually see the bits being transmitted!
I remember that a decoder was developed at a cost of about
$500, plus an annual subscription charge. The intent of
the system was to lower the phone bills for sites that had
a lot of traffic. I don't know if the system is still in
use.

As far as the phone system, we already have systems like
Compuserve, Fidonet, and USENET (anyone want to speculate
on what's going to happen to network traffic if the NeXT
machine becomes as popular as MACs?). The major limitation
on using the phone system is the currently low baud rate. With
the introduction of ISDN, home lines will have 64KBaud
transmission rates. Does anyone know when such services
will be offered to the average consumer? How much are
they expected to cost?

One of the most interesting questions to me is how can
issues of copyright be dealt with if the average consumer
has a 64Kbaud network connection?

-bob

kro...@cs.umass.edu or
kro...@umass.bitnet

[Scot E. Wilcoxon]

In article <881121195...@crash.cs.umass.edu> KRO...@cs.umass.EDU writes:
>I can see two possibilities for bringing networks to the
>average consumer: cable tv, and the phone system (perhaps
>they will be merged in the future). In terms of cable tv,
>I know of one relevant experiment: Stargate. This is a

I've had an X*PRESS modem for many months. It cost well under $100 US,
connects to my city cable TV, and produces 9600 bps serial data. The data
includes news, weather, sports, various feature articles, and stock market
activity. Software for major PCs is available, but for other machines
you have to code your own (perhaps also figuring out the format).

I don't know exactly how the data is transmitted. My cable company does
know about the service so they might have some support equipment. All
I can see is an M/A COM label with a frequency, an empty accessory slot,
a pulsing DATA light, and the data.
--
Scot E. Wilcoxon sew...@DataPg.MN.ORG {amdahl|hpda}!bungia!datapg!sewilco
Data Progress UNIX masts & rigging +1 612-825-2607
I'm just reversing entropy while waiting for the Big Crunch.

[Leif Andrew Rump]

USA and a lot of European contries has ISDN networks installed on test
basis and it works! The big deal with ISDN is that the telephone
companies is able to use the existing telephone cables so ISDN could
be the system of tomorrow (more or less litterely!)

Leif Andrew Rump, Ambrasoft A/S, Roejelskaer 15, DK-2840 Holte (Denmark)
UUCP: le...@ambone.dk, phone: +45 2424 111, touch phone: +45 422 817 + 313
BBS1: ABC BBS: +45 68 00 544, 3/12, 24h, 2:505/38 (ABC Sysop)
BBS2: PC-Club BBS: +45 68 0270, 3/12/24, 24h, 2:505/54 (PC-Club Sysop)

Please note the node-change: Ambone, Italian for a pulpit
(The following interpretations emerged Am_bone, Ambrasoft A/S bone
when Ambone was put down on paper and Amb_one, Ambrasoft A/S #one
accepted - they are solely mine!!!!!) ...