Broadband means any type of signal transmission method – the signal can be wired or wireless, carrying two or more types of data in detached channels. The term popularly refers to a fast internet connection.

Defining Broadband

As the old dial-up networks began to be faced out by newer and faster alternatives, all the new ones were marketed as “broadband internet”. The government and the internet regulators have attempted to set the rules of what qualifies to be regarded as broadband centered on the most data rates they support. The definitions of broadband vary with time and by region. For instance:

As of 2016, a download rate of 256 Kbps was regarded as broadband in the Philippines.

In 2014, the broadband threshold in India stood at 256 Kbps but was raised to 512 Kbps.

In the United States 2015, the broadband point was raised to 25 Mbps from 4 Mbps download and from 1 Mbps to 3 Mbps upload.

Types of Broadband Networks

The following are internet technologies categorized as broadband:

Cable Modem – high-speed internet provided over cable TV lines.

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) – a type of internet service that syndicates distinct data and voice channels over one telephone line. In this type of connection, data fill the high-end of the frequency spectrum while voice traffic fills the low-end.

Mobile Broadband – this refers to the type of internet connections between mobile devices.

Fiber Internet (FTTH) – this type of signal transmission carries a single type of data traffic that is dedicated to internet connectivity.

Broadband Issues

Some people who reside in remote areas do not have a way to access the broadband internet because it’s expensive for service providers to set the required infrastructure. The broadband networks that are set by the government have a limited reach and also cause tension with private ISPs.

Setting the required infrastructure to supply broadband internet is not cheap. This makes it hard for private ISPs to offer affordable prices for internet services and at the speeds that the customers want. In worst cases, the user is charged extra for surpassing the set monthly allowance or the speed is capped leading to unfavorable internet experience.