Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc has begun shipping its Hayes Ultra Cable System cable modems. The new modem provides Internet access at speeds up to 4Mbps downstream over a standard cable connection, says the company. Using the same channels as video, the new modem has a hard-wired ID on each cable modem, enabling secure Internet access, electronic mail and other custom network management features. The system enables viewing of live video streaming content from the Internet, making realtime multimedia a reality. The unit parses traffic into four subchannels, and is time-division multiplexed into 1Mbps bandwidth per user. Hayes Ultra Cable System will run in any known cable television environment – terrestrial, wireless or satellite. The modem provides addressable messages and encryption, and is compatible with common broadcasting standards. Currently, the Hayes Ultra Cable System is in field trials at Georgia Tech University and other sites for applications such as distance learning, high- speed Internet access, video streaming and multi-player gaming. The Hayes Ultra Cable System costs $9,000 for the head-end kit, and $180 per cable modem in bulk quantities of 10,000 or more.
