With only 750 ISPs touting 56K, we haven't even reached a 20 percent level of commitment. One bright spot on the horizon is the possibility of a 56-Kbps standard. Both the K56flex and x2 camps are working to submit proposals to the Telecommunications Association, the U.S. body that submits proposals to the International Telecommunication Union. But it's unlikely the ITU will simply pick one. The ITU takes into account that customers have already invested in some of these technologies.
Nobody wants to turn their backs on people who've already bought equipment.
Nobody expects a standard before late this summer, at any rate. The good news for early adopters is that unlike the V.FAST debacle, every modem being shipped with 56-Kbps technology is equipped with both flash firmware and BIOSs, making an upgrade to a new standard a snap. David A. Harvey is a New York-based journalist, reviewer, and columnist. If we reach 100 members a lot more can happen. So far Marian Mihalcik and Todd Snoby are leading the rest of you.