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There was a time when the internet speed trudged along at 14.4 kbps. It did pick up to 56 kbps, however, that is still very slow, especially if video, graphics or sound are included.
However, in the mid-1990’s this all changed because of one company and one man. The company- @Home, the man- Milo Medin.
Where was it based? Redwood City
A little background:
Prior to founding @Home, Milo was with NASA’s Ames Research in their covert internet division. Considered an internet phenom, he established a well-respected reputation throughout the high-tech industry.
In 1995, Kleiner-Perkins, the granddaddy of venture capital firms, came calling on Milo. The goal was to establish the world’s fastest high-speed internet company and make it available to businesses and consumers.
K-P wanted Milo to be the company’s Founder, Chief Technology Officer, and internet backbone designer. The idea of revolutionizing the internet globally was too tempting to ignore, so Milo left NASA to start @Home.
Offices were at the south end of Broadway in Redwood City.
In order for the startup to succeed, they would have to partner with local cable TV providers. Why? In order to bring the desired speeds they were seeking, a heretofore never used connection had to be established.
Milo used coax cable (which came to be called “fat pipe”) that connected to a new type of modem, which he helped develop, called a cable modem. The combination of coax cable and the newly designed modem was key to providing unheard-of speeds. Cable TV providers needed to be an integral part of this revolutionary concept.
As a result, instead of 56 kbps, @Home is breaking 10MB speed! The ‘Autobahn’ of the internet has arrived!
For those unfamiliar with computer speed terms, @Home took the speed from the equivalent of a covered wagon to a supercharged drag racer.
Everything else is just history
[Part ll next week]
