About 56 Kbps modems
About 33.6 Kbps modems
Where does the Sympatico service offer 56 Kbps access?
Should you upgrade your modem?

Originally 28.8 Kbps and then 33.6 Kbps were the consumer standards for modem dialup Internet access. Soon there were faster modems capable of making Internet connections at close to 56 Kbps. With a 56 Kbps modem, you can download Web pages nearly twice as fast as with a 28.8 Kbps modem. Your overall Internet connection can only be as fast as the slowest part of the chain of connections between your Internet software and the Internet backbone networks used by Internet Service Providers (ISP). All Sympatico service local access points currently receive connections of at least up to 28.8 Kbps. Eventually, all Sympatico dialup points will be upgraded to accept connections at higher speed. Thus, unless the Sympatico local dialup number you connect to is capable of receiving a connection from your modem at speeds above 28.8 Kbps, your 33.6 or 56 Kbps modem will still only be able to connect at a maximum of 28.8 Kbps.

There are currently three 56 Kbps technologies. U.S. Robotics created x2, whereas Motorola, Rockwell and Lucent Technologies together created K56flex. In February 1998, the best of x2 and K56flex technolgies were combined to form V.90.

Please note that even though 56 kbps modems are technically able to operate at speeds of up to 56 kbps, Industry Canada regulations on transmitted signal levels limit download speeds to 53 kbps (and the actual connect speed is also dependent on telephone line conditions -- generally, a connection made at between 40 - 50 Kbps is considered good).

The Sympatico service has upgraded most of its own equipment to support connections at at least 33.6 Kbps. Sympatico dialup locations in Canada that support 33.6 Kbps and above will be indicated as they are implemented, on the Sympatico local dialup numbers table in the Sympatico Help section.

See Should you upgrade? for acquiring information about the upgradability of your own modem.

Our local dialup numbers page lists the modem speeds supported by each Sympatico service provider.

If the Sympatico service providers make changes to their 56 Kbps access methods they will be announced on this page as well as in their respective Service Bulletins.

There're lots of Web pages with up-to-date news about what's happening with 56 Kbps technology:

• see The Whole Web Catalog Special Report, and 56k.com's weekly updates on issues about 56 Kbps access to the Internet;
• for an unbiased overview of Internet access at 56 Kbps using x2 or K56Flex modems, see this No Hype 56K Modem page.

We do not recommend you upgrade your modem to 56 Kbps until it's clear whether or when your local Sympatico service provider will support 56 Kbps access in your dialup location, and which technology (x2 or K56flex, or V.90) will be supported. However, if you do buy one, or have already upgraded your modem to one of the 56 Kbps standards, and 56 Kbps access is not yet available in your local dialup location, it will still work with the Sympatico service, but only at speeds of up to 28.8 or 33.6 Kbps, as your local access number allows.

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