The departmental server is typically connected to the agency s network to provide access to a central database and other shared information. That means that a lone weather researcher in Point Barrow, Alaska, has electronic access to all the same information and services as a PC user at the National Weather Service headquarters. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, but those differences are not so great as proponents of either technology might have you believe, according to industry analysts. Cable modems work by connecting a computer via a special modem to the wideband coaxial network of a local cable TV system. A modem at the other end of the network connects the system to the Internet.
Cable modems provide blazingly fast maximum network speed, but they do have drawbacks.
Because users share cable bandwidth with every other home or office on the local node, access speeds will drop as more users compete for a slice of the network. Cox Communications Inc., one of the nation s largest cable television companies and a service provider in the Washington, D.C., metro area, is currently building a cable modem system and plans to target federal customers aggressively once the system is in place. Telecommuting becomes a viable option for federal employees once they have this in their homes, especially if you look at it 12 months from now. The Navy s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command in San Diego is also looking at using Cox s cable modem service to let its employees avoid Southern California traffic, according to Jeff Siconolfi, operations manager for the automated communications management system at Spawar. The primary limitation on cable modem use for federal agencies is the fact that most cable TV service is installed in residential areas, not office buildings.