Microsoft offering xDSL access

Fri Jan 23 03:28:52 UTC 1998

> This may be very true, but I have questions about how the Internet
> is going to handle a bunch of ordinary web surfers now demanding their web
> pages at 30 times the speed?  Is there backbone infrastructure in place to
> provide this kind of access on a household basis?  Where is Microsoft
> going to find enough peering from NSP's to provide this access to their
> customers?  I think it would be safe to assume that they probably have 

This usage can be sustained easily by using proxy/cache implementations
similar to those of the cable modem ISP's.  After all, most of the
bandwidth usage will come from http traffic most likely.

Regarding the NSP, consider this:

UUNet provides dialup pool connectivity for MSN.  Microsoft owns a
nice chunk of UUNet.  UUNet is/will soon be implementing xDSL (IDSL and
SDSL to be exact).  UUNet is a big monster, and will only grow
bigger ("If you can't beat 'em, buy 'em")...  Microsoft will be
introducing xDSL access.

...and draw your own conclusions. :)