Scott Dorsey wrote:

In the US, ISDN was a flop because it was too expensive, too slow, and too
late to market. If it had become available as quickly as it had in Europe
and as universally, it would have been very popular. But it wasn't.

(A) ISDN was faster than dialup - no one (hopefully) is claiming that it was
meant to replace leased lines.

(B) Yes, ISDN was expensive in some places. In Ohio we got lucky. Business ISDN
was tarriffed per minute, but you could get residential for as little as
$37/month for 75 calls/month (metered access, 8c/call after that) or about $45
flat rate.

And I still maintain that ISDN was more useful for that time period than BPL
will be now.

**SJS (trying to tie this argument back into radio somehow, and failing miserably)


--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) /
PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED)
Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids.

R J Carpenter wrote:
But how about WorldSpace satellite radio? They
have a couple of dozen channels with coverage of
Africa and Asia and much of Europe. They even
carry different services on the various spot beams
from a single satellite. I gather they rent some
space to national broadcasters. Their receivers
aren't dirt cheap, but well within the means of
many people in the third world. I gather that they
are NOT doing well financially, however. They have
a web site www.worldspace.com . There was some
initial relationship between them and XM, but
WorldSpace's partial foreign ownership killed that
from what I heard..

I can see LEO satellites as a possible eventual replacement for shortwave.

But it's going to be pretty tough to get the costs low enough (both on
the transmitting side and the receiving side) to make it fly in poorer
countries. (I'm not familiar with WorldSpace's pricing) I've my doubts
that any scheme that involves monthly subscription charges will work.
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com

Steve Sobol wrote:
Scott Dorsey wrote:

In the US, ISDN was a flop because it was too expensive, too slow, and too
late to market. If it had become available as quickly as it had in Europe
and as universally, it would have been very popular. But it wasn't.

(A) ISDN was faster than dialup - no one (hopefully) is claiming that it was
meant to replace leased lines.

The telcos were pricing it higher than many leased line facilities. Hell,
you could get Switched-56 for less than ISDN in Richmond, VA. (Sadly here
in GTE-land we couldn't get either).

I could get a 16KC 2-wire crosstown for less than a quarter what a single
remote ISDN circuit cost. And I could get the 16KC loop installed with a
week's notice, instead of a year.

(B) Yes, ISDN was expensive in some places. In Ohio we got lucky. Business ISDN
was tarriffed per minute, but you could get residential for as little as
$37/month for 75 calls/month (metered access, 8c/call after that) or about $45
flat rate.

Residental ISDN?
You have to be kidding!
Was it actually on the residential rate schedule? I gather that was
a non-tariffed service? That never made it out anywhere around here.

And I still maintain that ISDN was more useful for that time period than BPL
will be now.

I dunno, but I'd sure like to be able to order 48F burglar alarm circuits
from the telco again. Now THAT was a cheap way of doing remote work. And
sometimes it even sounded good.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Scott Dorsey wrote:
Residental ISDN?
You have to be kidding!
Was it actually on the residential rate schedule? I gather that was
a non-tariffed service? That never made it out anywhere around here.

Residential ISDN is available in the Nashville area. My boss had it a
few years ago - actually I'm pretty sure he still does.
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com

"R J Carpenter" wrote in news:co477k$som$1
@xuxa.iecc.com:


But how about WorldSpace satellite radio? They
have a couple of dozen channels with coverage of
Africa and Asia and much of Europe. They even
carry different services on the various spot beams
from a single satellite. I gather they rent some
space to national broadcasters. Their receivers
aren't dirt cheap, but well within the means of
many people in the third world. I gather that they
are NOT doing well financially, however. They have
a web site www.worldspace.com . There was some
initial relationship between them and XM, but
WorldSpace's partial foreign ownership killed that
from what I heard..

I don't believe you can "see" the Worldspace satellites from North
America, and even if you could, it's probably impossible to get one
activated unless you have a european address.

I realize the reception quality on satellite radio is much better than
that on shortwave, but is replacing a free service with a subscription
service really a sensible way to go (unless you own stock in the
satellite company!)?

--
Larry Weil
Lake Wobegone, NH

On 26 Nov 2004 16:18:46 GMT, (Scott Dorsey) wrote:


Residental ISDN?
You have to be kidding!
Was it actually on the residential rate schedule? I gather that was
a non-tariffed service? That never made it out anywhere around here.

About the only thing that Gore managed to actually do in Tennessee was get
Residential ISDN handled the same as a standard analog circuit.. The equipment
was pricey, but other than that, it was the same price as any other
residential loop. In Florida? Priced -above- the roof. Way over it. When I
asked for ISDN, I got told the circuit would be something like $118 a month,
plus $.10 per minute while it was "off the hook".. plus so many cents per
operation on the control circuit. (Pick up and dial, another $.10..that sort
of thing.) - If you used both channels, double the per minute rate. In short,
a huge ripoff.. (And they also jacked up the long distance rates through the
roof as well.)

I dunno, but I'd sure like to be able to order 48F burglar alarm circuits
from the telco again. Now THAT was a cheap way of doing remote work. And
sometimes it even sounded good.
--scott

Same - given a bit of inspiration, a friend down there ended up have a
monitoring circuit from his house to his ISP. Instant T1...