America Online Announces AOLnet Will Reach Full Deployment of High-Speed V.90 Standard by Mid-July.DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 11, 1998--America Online, Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : AOL (A division of Time Warner, Inc., New York, NY, www.aol.com) The world's largest online information service with access to the Internet, e-mail, chat rooms and a variety of databases and services. ), the world's leading Internet online services company, today announced that it will fully deploy the International Telecommunications Union See ITU. (body, standard) International Telecommunications Union - (ITU) ITU-T, the telecommunication standardisation sector of ITU, is responsible for making technical recommendations about telephone and data (including fax) communications systems for PTTs and suppliers. (ITU (International Telecommunication Union, Geneva, Switzerland, www.itu.ch) A telecommunications standards body that is under the auspices of the United Nations. Comprising more than 185 member countries, the ITU sets standards for global telecom networks. ) standard V.90 modem protocol for high-speed 56Kilobits-per-second (Kbps) access throughout AOLnet, the world's largest dial-up network (1) The switched telephone network regulated by government and administered by common carriers. Also called "plain old telephone system" (POTS) and "public switched telephone network" (PSTN). (2) A network that can be accessed remotely via analog modems or ISDN. , by mid-July. AOL has been testing V.90 internally for several months. Today's announcement underscores AOL's commitment to providing the most advanced technology to its members with connections capable of speeds up to twice as fast as the previous generation of modems. Currently, AOL is offering its members two different 56K modem protocols, the x2 modem technology developed by US Robotics US Robotics - U.S. Robotics, Inc. and the K56flex technology developed as a joint effort between Lucent and Rockwell. The two standards are not compatible with each other, and have required AOL members to select an AOL access number based on the type of high-speed modem they were using. As a result, AOL access numbers are currently listed as either K56flex or x2. Once the network is upgraded to V.90, users with modems that can achieve higher speeds will be able to do so with any V.90 telephone numbers in the network. For AOL members, this means that it will be easier than ever for them to use 56K modems because more access numbers will be available for higher-speed connections. AOL members with x2 or k56flex modems can go to Keyword: V.90 for more information and visit their modem manufacturer's Web page to download V.90 software. "AOL is committed to ensuring that AOL's technology continues to be on the cutting edge and we are pleased to be able to offer this high speed protocol throughout our network," said Matt Korn, AOL's Senior Vice President for Network Operations. "As we move forward, we will remain dedicated to providing our members with access to the latest technology, in the easiest and most convenient format. We have been preparing our network for the V.90 standard, and now that we have fully tested this protocol AOL will be able to convert all of AOLnet to V.90 with a software upgrade," continued Korn. About the V.90 Protocol In February 1998, ITU agreed upon Adj. 1. agreed upon - constituted or contracted by stipulation or agreement; "stipulatory obligations" stipulatory noncontroversial, uncontroversial - not likely to arouse controversy a new standard, called V.90, for 56Kbps modem protocol. Both the US Robotics and Rockwell/Lucent teams have been developing the new V.90 software to run in consumer modems and in the network modems used by providers, such as AOL. All V.90 modems will be able to operate with each other. 56Kbps technologies use a range of connection rates, roughly between 32 Kbps and 56 Kbps. The actual connection rate will fall somewhere in that range and will depend greatly on the individual characteristics/quality of the phone line connection range. AOL members can get more information regarding the V.90 standard at Keyword: V.90. The broad deployment of 56Kbps in cities throughout the country gives AOL members the opportunity to access the service from more locations, at speeds up to twice as fast as the previous generation of modems. AOL offers the fastest communication in cyberspace, available to customers operating on regular analog dial-up phone service. Members can find a listing of AOL's access numbers at Keyword: Access. America Online See AOL. , Inc., based in Dulles, Virginia Dulles, Virginia is an unincorporated census-designated place located in Loudoun County, Virginia, part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. The headquarters of AOL, Orbital Sciences Corporation and ODIN technologies and the former headquarters of MCI Inc. are located in Dulles. , is the world's leader in branded interactive services and content. America Online operates two worldwide Internet online services: AOL Interactive Services, with more than 12 million members; and CompuServe, with approximately 2 million members. America Online also operates AOL Studios, the world's leading creator of original interactive content. Other branded Internet services operated by America Online include AOL.COM, the world's most accessed Web site from home; AOL NetFind, AOL's comprehensive guide to the Internet; AOL Instant Messenger See AIM. , an instant messaging tool available on both AOL and the Internet; and ICQ ("I Seek You") A conferencing program for the Internet from Mirabilis, Tel Aviv, Israel (www.icq.com). It provides interactive chat, e-mail and file transfer and can alert you when someone on your predefined list has also come online. , an instant communications and chat technology on the Internet. CONTACT: America Online Inc. Wendy Goldberg, 703/265-2359 |
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