What is broadband?

Broadband is one of those Internet terms that has several meanings, depending on the context. Probably the most popular understanding of broadband has to do with its formal title: broadband Internet access. Simply referred to as broadband, this is the high rate of data access to the Internet. This is opposed to dial-up access, or access via the telephone line, which is an older technology and limited to a 56kbps modem (only some 10% of Internet users in the United States are still using it). Broadband, on the other hand, usually means high-speed Internet, because its rate of data transmission is 256kbits. This bit rate is referred to as broadband throughout the world. As Internet use continues to expand, however, current broadband data rates will have to be expanded in order to meet the growing demand for video services, such as video conferencing, videophones and newsgroups. This means upgrading from the standard DSL (digital subscriber line) technology to very high speed DSL (VDSL) and fibre-optic connections, from the current much slower ADSL (asymmetric DSL) technology.

A more immediate challenge for broadband use is to provide service to customers on the rural periphery of large cities, whose high population density makes broadband technology profitable for providers. In some rural areas, satellite Internet access is an expensive broadband alternative. Third-generation cellphone networks are also capable of providing broadband Internet access. In addition, the term broadband is less popularly used to describe a range of frequencies used in telecommunications, data communications, communications over power lines, and cable television.