What is Broadband?
Broadband refers to always-on Internet connections that transport multiple signals and traffic types at high speeds. ‘Broadband’ literally means the network can handle a wide band of frequencies. The broader (or wider) the bandwidth, the more information can be transmitted. Broadband Internet is now ubiquitous, with the older and slower dial-up-modem technology becoming obsolete over the past decade.
Broadband connections are characterized by their high speeds compared to Broadband services are typically delivered over one of four possible transmission mediums – optical fiber, coaxial cable, twisted pair, and wireless.
How is Broadband Delivered?
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is a technology that allows a broadband Internet connection to be established over a traditional twisted-pair copper telephone line, while also allowing the line to simultaneously carry normal phone calls. A DSL modem is used to convert the digital data signals into analog signals suitable for the phone line. ADSL refers to Asymmetric DSL, the most common form, meaning the upload speed is slower than the download speed. This is ideal for most users, who tend to view or receive information from the Internet much more than they upload data. SDSL (Symmetrical DSL) is typically used for video conferencing or business applications that require high bandwidth in both directions.
Service providers typically offer maximum ADSL download speeds ranging from 256kbs for basic ADSL to 24Mbps for ADSL2+. However, DSL data transfer rates tend to deteriorate with increased distance from the telephone exchange, and the age and quality of the copper wires can also impact the maximum achievable speed.
Types of Broadband Connections
Coaxial Cable
Coaxial cable, often shortened to ‘coax’, is a type of electrical cable with an inner copper conductor surrounded by a plastic insulation layer, surrounded by a tubular copper shield, and then surrounded by another plastic insulating outer layer.
Cable broadband uses coaxial cable to transmit information, allowing for much higher data transfer rates and less signal degradation over distance compared to ADSL. Broadband cable Internet uses the same underlying infrastructure as cable television. A cable modem at the customer’s premises connects via coaxial cable or Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) to a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) at the service provider’s facility.
Cable download speeds can reach 400Mbps for business connections and 250Mbps for residential users, although most cable operators restrict upload and download speeds based on their service offerings and pricing plans. Cable is shared infrastructure, and a single physical connection might handle hundreds of cable modems – for example, all homes on a particular street may share the same cable. This can result in congestion and slower speeds during peak hours when many users attempt to use the network at the same time.
Optical Fiber & Fiber-Optic
An optical fiber is a thin, transparent, flexible fiber created by drawing glass or plastic to roughly the diameter of a human hair. A fiber-optic cable consists of the fiber core, surrounded by cladding, and then surrounded by a protective outer coating. The cladding guides light along the core as a result of total internal reflection.
Optical fiber is widely used in communications because light can travel along the fiber with little signal loss (unlike electrical signals along metal wires), thereby enabling fast and reliable transmission over long distances. Optical fibers are unaffected by electromagnetic interference. Fiber-optic broadband is the fastest form of Internet connection, however, the service is still relatively new compared to cable and DSL, which means the price can be high and availability limited.
Wireless, Mobile and Satellite
Wireless broadband allows users to connect to the Internet using radio waves, and speeds are similar to DSL and cable. The connection may use a mobile/cellular telephone network, or a fixed Wi-Fi ‘hot spot’ which might be located in a restaurant, hotel, airport or other public places. Wireless broadband is convenient and flexible since no cables are required and the service can be accessed while on the move.
Satellite is another form of wireless communication. It is the slowest type of broadband connection, however, it can provide reliable coverage in rural or remote locations where no other communications infrastructure exists. Satellite upload and download speeds are generally in the hundreds of kilobits per second range, but this is still faster than traditional dial-up connections. Satellite broadband speeds can be affected by weather, and by the line-of-sight between the consumer and the orbiting satellite.
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