By enabling faster downstream speeds from the ISP to the user, the high-speed 56K Agere Systems PCI International Softmodem significantly speeds information delivery. Download drains such as graphics- intensive web pages, audio and video, and large files will download nearly as fast as ISDN connections and at almost twice the rate of the standard 28.8-K modemThe Agere Systems PCI International Softmodem is compatible with previous communication standards like ITU V.34, which means that whenever high-speed communication is not possible, the connection can be established via V.34. Users can connect with any ISP that is compliant with this high-speed 56K modem.Viewing the Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN) as mostly digital, the Agere Systems PCI International Softmodem delivers faster speeds by greatly reducing the quantization noise caused by corrupted or reconstructed analog/digital signals. The ultimate result is faster speed and overall enhanced performance.