te video-based material. A switched network, such as Next Level’s, can receive programs from anywhere and distribute them to selected subscribers for minimal additional cost, estimated to be less than $0.20 per subscriber per month. It is envisioned that VDSL will merge after ADSL is widely deployed and co-exist with it. The alternative service for interactive home video is x.DSL’s direct competitor, CATV. Features that may develop via cable technology include; remote video game playing where people from different countries can play games with 3D video and sound online, household bill paying, video on demand, bandwidth on demand applications, and web shopping. A numerous amount of servers could be available to the market for streaming audio and video, CD-ROMs, or a variety of software that can be rented by time or one-time use for evaluation before purchasing. To obtain a CATV connection requires the use of a cable modem setup in the subscriber’s home. This device enables you to hook up your PC to a local cable TV line and receive data at about 1.5 Mbps. A cable modem can be added to or integrated with a set-top-box that provides your TV set with channels for Internet access. In most cases, cable modems are furnished as part of the cable access service and are not purchased directly and installed by the subscriber. A cable modem has two connections: one to the cable wall outlet and the other to a PC or to a set-top box for a TV set. Typically, the cable modem attaches to a standard 10Base-T Ethernet card in the computer. All of the cable modems attached to a cable TV company coaxial cable line communicate with a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) at the local cable TV company office. All cable modems can receive from and send signals only to the CMTS, but not to other cable modems on the line. Some services have the upstream signals returned by telephone rather than cable, in which case the cable modem is known a...
