Broadband Connections - Cable Broadband

Originally:
- Telephone and computer networks: wired.
- Television: wireless broadcasts from towers to home antennas.
Recent trend: telephone and computer networks are increasingly wireless, while television has transitioned to wired (cable) systems.

Late 1940s (USA): Cable TV developed to serve remote areas outside TV tower range.
1984: Cable Communications Policy Act in the US deregulated the industry causing substantial growth.
Followed by global expansion.

Early 1990s: US cable infrastructure comparable to the public telephone system.
Cable providers sought to leverage cable infrastructure for Internet access amid the Internet boom.
Coaxial cables used for TV were capable of carrying much more data than required for TV.
Cable-based internet access technologies use frequencies that don't interfere with TV broadcasts.
Cable broadband delivers high-speed internet access over existing cable infrastructure.

Cable internet: shared bandwidth technology.
DSL and dial-up: point-to-point connections to a central office (CO).
Central Office (CO):
- Historically, staffed by telephone operators using switchboards.
- Now: automated hardware for telephone companies.
Point-to-point connections (DSL, dial-up) guarantee bandwidth.

Cable internet employs a shared bandwidth model.
Multiple users share bandwidth until transmissions reach the ISP's core network.
Shared area: city block to suburban subdivisions, depending on wiring.
Upgrades aim to mitigate the effects of shared bandwidth, but slowdowns during peak usage are still common.

Cable Modem: device at the consumer's network edge.
Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS): connects multiple cable connections to the ISP's core network.