What is V.90?
What is all the fuss about?
How fast is V.90?
What will it mean to me?
How do I check if my modem is V.90?
Can I connect to BTinternet without it?
Do I have to buy a new modem?
How can I upgrade my modem?
Can the BTinternet help desk advise me in upgrading my modem?
What will be the next standard?
What are the new access numbers?
Useful Websites

What is V.90?

V.90 is a standard for the latest 56k modems that has been agreed by the ITU (International Telecommunication Union). Until V.90 had been agreed there were two competing modem standards, “Flex” and “X2”. From a user point of view the difference is immaterial but what mattered was that you could not use an X2 modem to connect to an ISP (Internet Service Provider) that used Flex, or visa versa.

Had a standard not been agreed it would have caused headaches for consumers and ISPs and the end result probably would have been that 56k as a whole would have died and people would be stuck with connecting to the Internet using their old 33.6 modems.

In practical terms, V.90 means that future 56k modems will all talk the same language, making life easier for consumers as they need not be confused about what modem to buy or worried about buying hardware that might become redundant such as Betamax video recorders.

What is all the fuss about?

Like many things in life, and especially the Internet, hype tends to overtake reality. Yes, V.90 is a good thing and life would be a lot more complicated without it. However, it is nothing revolutionary and will not turn Web browsing into the mega high speed nirvana that all Internet users dream about.

There is no reason why someone using an X2 modem, connected to an ISP also using X2 modems will be surfing any slower than someone connecting over V.90. Agreeing the standard cannot push data down copper wires any faster.

Why V.90 is important is that should you wish to connect to multiple ISPs, it will be easier when they all have V.90 so prevent the problem of you trying to connect to a Flex modem on the ISP side with an X2 modem which would result in download speeds dropping down to around 33.6k.

Most of the fuss about V.90 is that as soon as it was agreed, people expected to be implemented by all ISPs immediately and so a simple and misguided way to judge an ISP was whether they had V.90, regardless of whether they supported both 56k standards anyway and provided a good reliable service.

How fast is V.90?

V.90 is not a speed but a standard. As it is the standard for 56k modems then in theory download speeds of up to 56,000 bps are possible. This is only is theory as it depends up on the quality of the line and no ISP will guarantee a connection speed that fast. Speeds of between 45,000 bps and 50,000 bps will be typical connection speeds. Please note that the upload speed (ie, the speed of data going from your computer to the server you are connected to) is limited to 33.6k although this should have no significant effects as upload information is usually only instructions in the form of various key strokes and mouse-clicks.

What will it mean to me?

If you have a V.90 modem and have been patient while BTinternet upgrade then your wait is over. BTinternet did not want to rush into the launch of V.90 but has ensured that it has been thoroughly tested before being launched.

You now have the choice of

1. Connecting to the new V.90 number 0345 56 00 00 if your modem is already V.90
2. Upgrading your modem to V.90 to do the above
3. Continuing to connect to the Flex number (0345 56 00 01) should you have a Flex modem and cannot or do no want to upgrade.
4. Continuing to connect to the X2 number (0345 56 00 02) should you have an X2 modem and cannot or do no want to upgrade.
5. Doing nothing if you are satisfied with your current connection.

(View all access numbers)

How do I check if my modem is V.90?

Some modems available now are already V.90 compatible - others will have to be upgraded (providing they have a "flash" upgradable memory). To check please see the documentation that came with your modem or the manufacturer's Website for details

Can I connect to BTinternet without V.90?

Yes. Our upgrade to V.90 will not preclude anyone using any other sort of modem be it an X2 or Flex 56k modem, a “V34” 33.6 or 28.8 modem or older and even slower models.

Do I have to buy a new modem?

As stated above, you can connect to BTinternet with a variety of modems so you will not have to necessarily buy another one. However, if you want to connect using V.90 and have a modem that cannot be upgraded to V.90 then you will have no choice than to buy a new one.

How can I upgrade my modem?

You can only upgrade a modem to V.90 if it has a "Flash" memory. "ROM" memory is fixed and cannot be upgraded. Please see the documentation that came with your modem or use the manufacturer's Website or telephone support for information. Most modems are upgraded to V.90 by running a program downloaded from the manufacturer's Website.

Can the BTinternet help desk advise me in upgrading my modem?

Due to the number of different modems available it would be almost impossible for our help desk to help you upgrade. Your modem's documentation should contain instructions and the manufacturer will almost certainly have a Website, and or a technical support number to call.

What will be the next standard?

It is likely that V.90 (56k) modems will be the last analogue modems (ie, modems that convert your computer's digital information into analogue format to be sent across phone lines). However, it is always possible that something else might be invented. To gain higher connection rates a system is preferable that sends data in a digital format which has benefits as it does not need to be converted and is less susceptible to interference on the line. The ability to do this has been around for some time with ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) giving connection speeds of 64k and more recently Home Highway enabling you to "double-up" 2 ISDN lines to give speeds of 128k, both available from BT.

BT will soon be launching ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line). For more information please go to BTopenworld

What are the new access numbers?

The access number for V.90 is 0845 756 0000 which is to replace the old number 0345 560000. For the complete list of BTinternet access numbers please view the list.

Please note that there are limited number of V.90 ports but they will be increased during March. At busy times, you might not get a V.90 connection on the 0845 756 0000 or 0345 56 00 00 numbers if all the V.90 ports fill up.

Useful Websites

3COM / US Robotics
Hayes
Pace
BT Prologue