MCI upgrades network to give room to grow
November
17, 1997
By JIM BROOKS
If you've downloaded any files through your Internet provider
recently and noticed faster download times, you may have seen the
results of a MCI's upgrade that was completed this week.
The $60 million upgrade was performed to accomodate the rapidly
expanding Internet. Electronic traffic is increasing by nearly 30
percent per month, the company said.
Next year, the company plans to double its capacity for electronic
traffic.
The upgrade increased MCI's Internet infrastructure speed to 622
megabits per second from 155 megabits per second, the company said,
and about 13,000 ports were added to accomodate increasing consumer
and business demand for Internet service.
I found that two files I downloaded from ZDNet's software archive
transferred at a higher rate than I've ever seen -- a pleasant surprise
to say the least.
Of course, you'll only notice the change if your Internet provider
uses MCI system. At any rate, upgrading the Internet's infrastructure
benefits all of us, and is a welcome improvement.
APPLE EATERIES. Apple announced this week its plans to work
with a restaurant chain to open a string of cybercafes in the U.S.
and Europe sometime next year.
The London-based Mega Bytes International will develop a high-tech
restaurant that will give consumers a chance to surf the Internet,
play games and eat.
The first restaurant will open in Los Angeles next year, with others
slated to open in London, Paris, New York and other metropolitan
areas.
CABLE MODEMS HIT CANADA. Canada's cable TV companies announced
a rollout of cable Internet service that will offer high-speed Net
access to more than 2 million subscribers by the end of 1997.
The service, called Wave, will offers Net speeds up to 10 times
faster than current telephone connection speeds.
Prices are reasonable for the high-speed: $41 a month for a year's
subscription with an installation fee of about $100. Rental fees
for a cable modem isn't included.
One plus with the service is the ability to have a dedicated Net
connection. This means you never need to dial up for your connection,
you have a permanent connection between your computer and the Internet.
UPGRADEABLE MODEMS. With the recent jump to 56k speeds for
many manufacturers of telephone modems, Cardinal Technologies announced
this week its new 33.6 k modem would be upgradeable to faster speeds.
The modem will hit the market after the first of the year, and
will be priced around $150.
The 33.6k modem will be upgradeable to 56k, as well as 128k for
Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN).
In the meantime, modem prices continue to drop. New 33.6 modems
can be purchased for $100; 14.4 modems are available for less than
half that price.
AOL BILL SHOCK. If you're an AOL user, you may be surprised
by your next bill from the service.
As reported recently in this column, AOL has moved to a new unlimited-use
pricing plan. For many users, the $19.95 per month will mean considerable
savings over the old price structure.
But for casual users who don't spend much time on AOL, the new
prices may be more than they were bargaining for.
AOL apparently has moved all of its customers to the top level
of its pricing plan. Less expensive plans are available for the
"light" user, but customers are being required to call
in to AOL's customer support and specifically request the change.
For information on the new pricing plans, you can contact AOL's
customer service at 1-800-827-6364.
DISK DILEMA. OK, you've been wondering what to do with those
drawers full of AOL, Prodigy and CompuServe software diskettes.
Formatting them (or erasing the software) takes valuable time (especially
if you've as many of these pesky critters as I have), but tossing
them in the trash seems wasteful. Those disks just have to be good
for something.
If you've got a touch for craft making, there's a site on the World
Wide Web that will help you get rid of those disks, and please that
hard-to-buy-for Web geek you have on your Christmas list.
Nikki's 1996 AOL Recycled Diskette Present Collection is a tongue-in-cheek
Web site that look at ways to creatively use those AOL disks --
and you would be surprised with the things you can do with a simple
3.5-inch diskette.
How about a spiffy gift tag? You can put together a number of ornaments
for your Christmas tree as well as some surprisingly useful gifts
-- including an Analog Clock, potpourri holder, a mini photo album,
and my favorite, a NOEL hanging suitable for a centerpiece or as
a wall hanging.
Evidently, Nikki is an experienced crafter, as she has simple instructions
posted on her site for each project, along with a list of materials,
total cost and a color photo of what the completed project should
look like.
If you're looking for a unique gift for the computer nut in your
family, you can create one of these inexpensive projects that will
spread a little holiday cheer, and clear out your desk drawer. They
would make a great project to put together with the kids as well.
Point your browser to http://www.neosoft.com/nikki/ and take a
look.
RECYCLE, REUSE, REFORMAT. If you don't want to create something
with those extra AOL disks littering your computer desk, you might
want to give them to a organization that can put them to good use.
Carol Blake, president of Blake & Associates and creator of
USA CityLink, unveiled this week the Floppies for Kiddies program.
This program follows the lead of Toys for Tots, only this time,
donations of unused computer disks (including unwanted AOL disks)
are sought.
The disk donations will be distributed to non-profit organizations
and schools that request them.
To donate, mail your disks to: USA CityLink Project, Attn: Floppies
for Kiddies, 4060 Highway 59, Mandeville, LA 70471
They are also accepting requests for free diskettes via an e-mail
link at their Web site.
Businesses and individuals are encouraged to include a Christmas
card that can be delived with the donated disks.
For more information, visit the Floppies for Kiddies Web page at
http://www.usacitylink.com/disks.
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