57. Broadband

Broadband is an internet connection with a bandwidth of 512kbps or more and can be accessed through telephone line, cable line, radio signals, or even by satellites. Broadband connections need special modems which should be capable of sending and receiving data very fast. Broadband also demands faster processing speed and good memory (Random Access Memory) from your computer. Slow computers without minimum requirements of processor speed and internal memory affect the downloading speed of web pages.

The term broadband can have different meanings in different contexts. The term's meaning has undergone substantial shifts. Narrowband is usually referred to dial up internet connection and it usually varies from speeds of about 50 characters per second to about 60 Kbps. Broadband is usually regarded as any internet connection that can deliver speeds faster than 60 kbps. Broadband in data communications can refer to broadband networks or broadband Internet and may have the same meaning as above, so that data transmission over a fiber optic cable would be referred to as broadband as compared to a telephone modem operating at 56,000 bits per second.

However, broadband in data communications is frequently used in a more technical sense to refer to data transmission where multiple pieces of data are sent simultaneously to increase the effective rate of transmission, regardless of data signaling rate. In network engineering this term is used for methods where two or more signals share a medium. Narrowband is usually referred to dial up internet connection and it usually varies from speeds of about 50 characters per second to about 60 Kbps.

There are a few types of broadband connections available, some are faster than others and some are more expensive than others to use. Depending on your needs, budget and availability will usually determine which type of broadband internet connection is right for you. They are: ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), SDSL Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line, Cable, Wireless, Satellite and Leased Lines.