Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1:	What is COAM?
A1:	COAM is an acronym for Customer Owned And Maintained. COAM is often used by service providers to identify who is responsible either for a certain piece of equipment or for the customer, the service provider, or a third party vendor (designated by the customer or the service provider depending on service contract terms).
2:	If 56K (V.90) modems can't really connect at 56 K, why are they called 56K?
A2:	Calling V.90 modems 56 K modems is an unfortunate misnomer. The FCC (Part 68) limits legal speed on the telephone network to 53.3 Kbps. Actual speeds vary according to your phone line conditions. The FCC limitations were designed in the late 1960s when 300 bps was the norm and 53.3 Kbps was considered both high-speed and the most power the copper facilities used in the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) could support. Japan has deployed 64 Kbps dial-up service and as of this writing, FCC Part 68 is under review for amendment to include 64 Kbps service in North America.