They are generally reliable and quite affordable. Driven by market demand, they have also grown appreciably faster in recent years. Problem was, and is, that the respective protocols are incompatible. A consumer with an x2-based modem, for example, must make sure his Internet provider supports that protocol to achieve 56K speeds. The new, V.90 modem harmonizes the competing codes.
Analysts expect the new standard to boost modem sales significantly.
When it announced V.90's arrival, the ITU noted that VisionQuest 2000, a market researcher, estimates the number of modems shipped each year likely will rise to 75 million by the year 2000 from 50 million in 1997. As a practical matter, no one expects the technical specifications to shift in the interim, and chip makers and modem manufacturers are shipping new V.90 units. It is expected to be widely used for Internet access. Manufacturers are moving to the new standard, which reportedly does a slightly better job of sustaining download speeds than x2 or K56flex. Speed is affected by the phone-line quality and distance between the household and the telephone company's central office.