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FAQ's
What is Broadband?
Broadband is a blanket term for a range of technologies that allow access to the internet at much higher speeds than normal dial-up connections. While current 'narrowband' systems can typically carry information at a rate of 56kbps (kilobits per second), broadband often allows rates of 512kbps and can offer speeds many times faster.
The main types of broadband technology include ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) - a technology that allows normal telephone lines to carry more data - and cable modems, which allow you to connect to a higher-speed cable network in your area. Other alternatives include satellite technology and high-speed wireless networks.
One of the most important thngs to remember about an ADSL broadband service, is that there is a contention of the overall available bandwidth amongst other local telephone exchange ADSL subscribers. This means that if an ADSL service is locally popular, you must be prepared to accept connection speeds that are possibly less than those advertised by the service provider. Typically, for a 512K "downstream" (ie. data coming from the Internet) service, there will be a choice of whether to subscribe to a 20:1 or 50:1 contention ratio, which naturally has service cost implications. Upstream (ie. data going out from your network) transfer rates could also be affected (usually there is a maximum upstream bandwidth of 256K), depending upon how many subscribers are using the service, and at what time of day it is.
