This story comes from Wired: Read the entire piece at:
Nuclear Plants Cautiously Phase Out Dial-Up Modems | Threat Level | Wired.com
By Kevin Poulsen

“Licensees currently use analog modulator/demodulators (modems) to establish point-to-point data connections,” the NRC wrote in a memo (.pdf) to plant operators late last month. “Although this technology was state of the art when ERDS was first implemented, it is now obsolete, and replacement equipment is no longer available.”

The NRC notes several advantages … in a crisis all the plants could report … simultaneously, without the hassle of busy signals. In addition, “The use of modems inherently introduces cyber security vulnerabilities to the systems to which they are attached.”

The ERDS ties into plant computer systems … a “near real-time” view … including reactor core and coolant conditions, and radioactivity release rates.

…operators of 19 plants had expressed interest in getting rid of their modems. One hopes the other 47 will soon follow those early adopters.

Next year…

Modem photo courtesy SecretLondon123.