Do you remember those halcyon days associated with dial-up Internet? Do you recall how you would wait to use the telephone until your brother or sister was done surfing the net? These days now seem like ancient history although in reality, they were no more than 20 years in the past. We now live within times defined by lightning-fast connectivity and high-speed Internet. This is largely due in part to the ubiquitous nature of broadband technology. How does broadband function? What are its main benefits and are there any possible drawbacks? Let us take a look at this interesting slice of technology in great detail.
Broadband Basics
We can think of receiving bits of information from the Internet much in the same way as a hose waters your back garden. The flow of the water (the amount of information) is reliant upon the pressure (bits per second) and the diameter of the hose (the bandwidth). A broader bandwidth therefore equates to more information being sent and received. This is essentially how the term “broadband” originated. Whereas past connection would be measured in the number of kilobytes per second, modern broadband speeds are associated with megabytes and even terabytes of information sent and received each second.
The Benefits of Broadband
The main advantage associated with any broadband connection is the simple fact that more information can be sent and received at any given time. This helps to eliminate frustrating situations such as films buffering or a download being interrupted due to a broken connection. High-definition pictures can now be downloaded in a matter of seconds and it is possible to speak with someone on the other side of the world without experiencing any lag time. Broadband connections are also rather secure, so they are much harder for hackers to violate when compared to LAN and dial-up connections.
Are There Any Drawbacks?
The answer to this question will primarily depend upon what you are planning to use the broadband for. If you hope to stream films and to download average files, you should not encounter any problems whatsoever. However, there can still be times when memory-laden streaming applications (such as full-screen 4K HD media package) might cause buffering issues. Let's also keep in mind that broadband Internet is not nearly as fast as fibre optic connections. Finally, there can be times when a massive number of users will cause the average download speed to drop (such as during the peak hours of the day).
Broadband is the most popular means to connect to the Internet and the benefits should be obvious. Most providers offer package deals which also include amenities such as fixed land-line telephone and television. The best option is to examine the top companies in your area in order to see what each has to offer. You will most likely be required to sign up for a yearly contract, so be sure to analyse each package in detail. Thanks to the presence of broadband, enjoying light-speed communications is no longer a fictional dream.
