Dell PCs to feature high-speed modems

Dell and 3Com have joined forces to develop and market PCs with high-speed Internet connectivity - but only in the US.

The package will include Dell high-end Dimension PCs with 3Com cable and Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modems fitted internally. The package will be offered early next year.

It is an offer that would be received with enthusiasm by business users in Europe, according to Chris Lewis, principal analyst at Yankee Group Europe. However, they will have to wait a little while to get it, because of the immaturity of cable and DSL services this side of the Atlantic.

Lewis said: "The pricing of ISDN services across Europe varies considerably and in many cases, if a business wants a better connection than 56Kbps, they have to move up to a leased line, which is a big step."

He added: "If small businesses can get high-speed dial-up connections, that will be a stimulus to them doing business on the Net."

Lewis pointed out that most businesses in Europe use modem connections to the Internet. "By the end of 1997 there were about 3.4 million business Internet accounts and the vast majority of them were dial-up accounts. That shows there is a gap in the market for these sorts of devices.

"However, the state of the telecoms and cable infrastructure - and the monopolies in Europe - is a barrier to high-speed dial-up services starting up."