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Breaking Down Your Broadband Connection

What is Broadband?

Broadband is a type of Internet connection through which data is transmitted and received at high speeds. In order to be considered a broadband connection, a system must have a minimum data transmission speed of 256 Kb, however, most broadband connections tend to average well above this transfer rate. (It is not uncommon to get broadband connection speeds of 1+ Mb)

Broadband Connection Types

There are numerous broadband connection types, the most common of which are broadband digital cable and broadband DSL. A complete list of broadband connection types includes:

  • Broadband Digital Cable
  • Broadband DSL
  • T1 & T3 broadband
  • Wireless Broadband
  • Satellite Broadband

T1 and T3 broadband connections are older than the rest and arguably the fastest. With their high cost of operation, T1 and T3 broadband connections are generally reserved for various business purposes, in addition to college campuses.

Wireless broadband connections are rapidly becoming the standard in broadband connectivity, due to increased popularity, lowered cost and word-of-mouth recommendations. Although satellite broadband will never become commonplace in highly populated locations which offer numerous other broadband connection types, it provides an invaluable service in that it can provide a broadband signal to the most remote locations in the world where a broadband connection would typically be unavailable.

Wireless Broadband Connections

A wireless broadband connection is basically any type of high-speed connection that doesn’t require a physical connection. Although wireless broadband connections are available for any type of computer system, they are most commonly designed with the intention of servicing laptops. Laptop owners gain a certain degree of freedom where they can access high-speed Internet from anywhere within the range of their wireless signal.

Communities are also beginning to embrace the freedoms associated with wireless broadband connectivity. Coffee shops, hotels, airports, libraries and various other venues offer free access to wireless broadband networks. A single wireless “hotspot” can handle in excess of 100 network cards, and larger venues such as airports and hotels provide numerous hotspots to ensure broadband connectivity for everyone.

How to Get Your Broadband Connection

The first step in getting your very own broadband connection is verifying which providers service your location. This can easily be done online if you already have any type of Internet connection, (Simply enter your zip code into the appropriate field on a broadband provider’s website) or you can use the more old-fashioned method of phoning broadband providers to verify whether or not they service your area.

After generating a list of broadband providers who service your area, you can begin to compare their prices, available broadband connection types, reliability, reviews, etc., until you find a broadband provider who satisfies your needs.