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From: wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin )
Newsgroups: net.periphs
Subject: Modem costs
Message-ID: <442@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 9-Dec-85 13:49:25 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.442
Posted: Mon Dec  9 13:49:25 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 11-Dec-85 03:45:25 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: USAMC ALMSA, St. Louis, MO
Lines: 13

It has occurred to me that it would seem that an ordinary 300/1200 bps
modem, without special programming or fancy features, should have about
the same parts count and component cost of a basic multi-number-memory
telephone. I would think that it should be available for a retail cost
somewhere in the $50 range. This does not seem to be the case. Am I wrong
in the parts cost estimate? Or is it just that telephones are produced
in so much greater volume that the economies of scale cut their prices
down to a third of what they would be if produced in modem quantities?
Or are the manufacturers just conspiring to keep the prices high?

Will Martin

UUCP/USENET: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin   or   ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA