Defining broadband can get complicated There are many different
takes on how to actually define the word: broadband. The first
and most obvious way to define it is a transmission medium that
allows for multiple pathways and types of data, far exceeding
simple voice communication devices. Simply, put it is the
ability to access a variety of data through one connection at a
reasonable speed. Where a phone line severely limits the amount
of information it can transmit, a broadband line, which has
bandwidth greater than 2 mbps, unlike a standard dial-up
connection which will only have 56kbps, can allow for a variety
of different frequencies and channels to travel down its wide
pathway. This makes it optimal for those who play video games on
the Internet or are involved in heavy graphics work that they
need to import, send and receive along the information
superhighway. The minimum width of a broadband line has become a
matter of debate. While initially, the broadband definition was
a line that was greater than 2 mbps in width, other experts
began asserting that it should be at least 3 mbps wide. Still
others complain that at least 20 would be appropriate. But now,
broadband services start as low as 1 mbps, for those who are
trying out broadband for the first time. So who really knows
what the minimum level of bandwidth is needed in order for it to
be called broadband? One thing is certain though. DSL service
which an range from 256 kbps capacity on the downstream and
upstream side up to 1.5mbps, or even higher, is considered a
broadband service as well. So are cable television modems, which
have similar speeds. So, in reality anything with greater
capacity than a narrow line, like a telephone line, which can
only hold up to 64 kbps, is technically considered a broadband
service. Broadband services have become all the craze in the
past few years. When the Internet started to become more
mainstream in the 1990s people were content with simple dial-up
Internet services, which used only narrow lines. But as the need
for speed became important, especially as files and Web pages
became more elaborate, requiring more computer storage space and
memory, the need for larger bulks of information being able to
be sent and received at a quicker pace became essential. Hence,
we have the broadband revolution. Today, hardly anyone uses
narrow band service, or dial-up. Broadband Internet access is
the name of the game. And if you work in an office it is
absolutely essential, as larger chunks of information are
frequently sent to and from businesses on a regular basis.
Simply put, if you don?t have broadband today, you are probably
a person who does not need the Internet for a living. With the
number of telecommuting jobs available today, the need for
broadband services is only likely to expand greatly.
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About The Author: Neil Shevlin is the owner of
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