Broadband Internet Access

What is Broadband Internet Access?

Simply defined, Broadband Internet Access is high speed Internet access. So much so, that broadband Internet access or broadband is often referred to as high-speed Internet access.

This type of method of accessing the Internet is often compared with dial-up access in order to ‘sell’ it to prospective users. Dial-up Internet access uses a modem connection via a telephone line to connect the user’s computer to the Internet.

However, the most distinctive advantage that broadband Internet access offers to users is speed. A dial-up access is capable of a maximum speed of 56 kilobits per second, whereas a broadband access is capable of a speed which is 64 kilobits per second or more.

The speed is calculated in terms of the ‘maximum download’ speed. This is because several broadband service providers use ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line) technologies. And these ADSL technologies support higher download speeds compared to upload speeds.

Broadband Service Today

Today, having a broadband service has become as essential as is having a computer in a household. Therefore, ‘broadband penetration’ has also acquired the status of becoming a key economic indicator in developed and developing countries.

Most of the ISPs (Internet Service Providers) in the market today are capitulating on this broadband technology and are providing broadband service as part of their package to lure in more and more customers. The package offered by these ISPs often includes a telephone connection.

This kind of a broadband line often can allow users to surf the Internet while simultaneously making telephone calls using the same broadband service connection line.

The reality of the situation with regards to the Internet speed is that most of the time, these ISPs offer broadband download speeds which are higher than that are actually available for the customer. This is due to the fact that these ISPs have more subscribers than what their main connection can support.

Their idea is that all users will not be using their Internet connections at full capacity at all times. Most often, this strategy works to their benefit. But there are times when this strategy does not work.

This can be evidenced at ‘peak hours’ when the speed of the broadband service drops down compared to what is available normally for the user.

A few reasons for this could be the increase in bandwidth consuming services over the Internet, such as Peer to Peer File Sharing programs and online video services.

A problem that most of the broadband Internet access services are facing at this point of time is creating ‘broadband penetration’ in what are termed as the ‘rural areas’.

It is true of any growing civilization, that many technological innovations first penetrate the ‘urban areas’ first and then reach the ‘rural areas’.

However, broadband services can and are often made available via Wireless Internet Access, and this technology is being used to create broadband penetration in rural areas.

Due to this Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) are gaining prominence in the industry today.

Another method of providing broadband Internet access in the rural areas is via satellites.

Coming back to urban areas, different kinds of broadband services are available for the industrial and organizational users – where companies (both small and large) are availing broadband Internet access services for their work purposes.

These broadband services include Trunk Lines or Leased Lines which are offered at high speed or bandwidth to include and accommodate numerous users at a single time. For this purpose, often WAN (Wide Area Network) technology is being deployed by the broadband service providers. These lines are symmetrical – which means that the upload and download speeds are the same (as opposed to the ADSL connections).

In conclusion, as technology rides the wave of innovations, more and more different designs and ideas will gain a foothold, literally in the households, of many of us.