Evaliation Essay

ISDN vs. Cable
The Internet is a network of networks that interconnects computers around the world, supporting both business and residential users. In 1994, a multimedia Internet application known as the World Wide Web became popular. The higher bandwidth needs of this application have highlighted the limited Internet access speeds available to residential users. Even at 56 Kilobits per second (Kbps)—the fastest residential access commonly available at the time of this writing—the transfer of graphical images can be frustratingly slow. My paper examines two enhancements to existing residential communications infrastructure: Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) and cable television networks upgraded to pass bi-directional digital traffic (Cable Modems). It analyzes the potential of each enhancement to deliver Internet access to residential users. It validates the hypothesis that upgraded cable networks can deliver residential Internet access more cost-effectively, while ...