DECT - digital local radio standards As part of the drive to provide Europe with agreed standards in technical matters, Europe's telecommunications companies agreed on a local area radio communications system in the early 1990s. This is called the Digital European Cordless Telecommunications standard or DECT. As the name suggests the standard uses a digital system to transfer voice data. It is also quite possible to send data over such system given the appropriate digital converter card. Theoretically DECT could offer throughput up to 384 Kbps through bundled channels although the standard channel is 32 Kbps about the same as today's fastest modems. It does this using 20 MHz of spectrum in the 1.8 GHz range. Compared to standard networking protocols these rates are very low. So far only Olivetti has produced a DECT radio networking system. NET3 however requires small external boxes for the network connection making it unwieldy for notebook users. The power requirements are also too high for battery support. DECT has not established itself as quickly as expected and is only now starting to appear in home telephone systems, where cableless phones are particularly popular. In the business environment DECT systems exist but have yet to make a major impact. A phone and data network on the DECT standard could offer a simplicity and interconnectivity with the wired network that could allow mobile offices to link easily and simply into external communications such as an Internet connection, faxing, ISDN or modem transfers. Miniaturisation and data throughput remain barriers to overcome.	Alternative radio networking Proprietary radio communications systems also exist for local area network connectivity. From AT&T in the USA, from Xircom and from the Israeli company XXX, there are three competing but incompatible systems which allow users to connect to hardwired local area networks via radio hub stations. Each of these systems offers roaming and a range of advantages depending on signal strength, power consumption and physical size. Toshiba has reviewed all three systems. The Israeli standard is often considered the strongest in terms of signal. This can be an advantage in older building or where lots of steel is embedded in concrete. The AT&T system is also sold under the Toshiba label in the USA, where it is popular and has a quasi standard status. In Europe Toshiba has demonstrated the Xircom system widely and Toshiba's European and German headquarters use it in their offices. The Xircom system works with a PC Card alone, whereas all others require the PC to have a sender box attached to the back of the screen. This adds weight and can reduce the battery life more strongly. As the Xircom system has a weaker signal, it requires more base stations for roaming. However the benefit is reaped in battery life that is hardly compromised.