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A Year Ago Today: USR lines up first 56Kbps modems
This story was first published October 16, 1996
US Robotics is expected to this afternoon release formal plans for the first 56Kbps analogue modems.
News of the Rockwell-led 56Kbps specification trickled out in mid-September and a series of key modem vendors including Hayes and Boca Research said they would back the technology and release products late in 1996 or early in 1997. Working products are expected to be shown at the Las Vegas Comdex exhibition in mid-November.
The devices, which will only be capable of approaching the 56Kbps speed when receiving data, will be aimed primarily at Internet power users. A spokeswoman for leading online service AOL said today that it would support the technology and other ISPs are expected to follow suit.