Hypothetically, using that growing cable network instead of phone lines for Internet access would dramatically boost the speed of communications. And making cable TV itself digital instead of analog ...

Their modems would turn digital signals into analog audio, and pipe them into a regular phone line. That analog audio ... those final years before DSL and cable began to dominate all.

(1) (Voice Over IP modem) A device that converts Internet-based voice service from the cable or telephone company to the user's telephones. Officially called an analog telephone adapter.