Microsoft scores with nod for Internet standard

[NEW YORK]

ven as Microsoft battles the US government, it can celebrate an incremental victory in the international arena.

Nine months ago, Microsoft, Compaq and Intel joined with the large local phone companies in an effort to enable consumers to receive Internet data over regular telephone lines at speeds much faster than now possible.

Last week, the consortium achieved its initial goal: winning preliminary approval of its technical standard from the International Telecommunications Union, a UN group. The technology is known as digital subscriber line (DSL). The version of DSL that won approval promises to deliver 1.5 million bits of data per second to homes.

Considering that it took the computing and communications industries about two years to settle on a universal standard for modems that deliver 56,000 bits a second, the industry consensus on DSL was quite a quick step.

But the phone companies must continue to step lively if they are to beat back the threat to their future posed by cable modems. There may be half a million people using cable modems for access to the Internet over cable television systems, while only a fraction of that number use DSL technology.

The new standard will allow consumers to install the advanced modems without help from a technician. Many cable modems require expert help for installation. The consortium hopes to have the modems in stores by the middle of next year, priced about US$150 (S$245). -- NYT