Broadband Connections - What is Broadband?

  • Definition of Broadband

    • General Definition: Refers to any internet connectivity technology that is not dial-up.
    • Characteristics:
    • Much faster than dial-up connections.
    • Always-on connectivity: long-lasting connections that do not require re-establishment with each use.

  • Impact of Broadband on Society

    • Revolutionized the use of the internet for both businesses and individual users.
    • Pre-broadband era:
    • Businesses relied heavily on faster internet due to high employee numbers leading to saturation of dial-up connections.
    • By mid-1990s, T carrier technologies became common among businesses needing reliable internet access.

  • T Carrier Technologies

    • Originally invented by AT&T for transmitting multiple phone calls over a single line.
    • Adapted for data transmission, allowing faster communication than dial-up could manage.
    • Expensive due to dedicated lines, primarily used by businesses.

  • Transition to Home Use

    • As business adoption increased, home users began to gain access to broadband.
    • The internet began evolving:
    • Complex websites and high bandwidth requirements emerged.
    • Example: High-resolution images took considerable time to download on dial-up.
    • Comparison:
    • A single photo today can be several megabytes, while a 2 MB photo translates to 16,777,216 bits.
    • Downloading at a baud rate of 14.4 kilobits per second would take almost 20 minutes.

  • Importance of Broadband Today

    • Essential for modern activities:
    • Enabling streaming of music and movies.
    • Facilitating photo sharing and online educational courses.
    • Without broadband, the current internet functionality we enjoy would not be possible.
    • Recognition of the crucial role of broadband in enabling communication, entertainment, and education.