Broadband services
What is broadband?
Broadband technology is the
always-open gateway to a new world of Internet services delivered at
lightning-fast speeds to homes, offices and businesses. Think of a broadband
connection to the Internet as a fat pipeline running into and out of a home
or business. In most cases, that pipeline has been laid by a cable,
telephone or independent service provider.
How does broadband work?
Digital and fiber-optic
technologies are key elements in powering the broadband concept. Digital
applications compress vast amounts of voice, video and data information that
is broken down into what are called "bits." A broadband pipeline, in turn,
can ferry a lot more bits -- they become words, pictures and other
components on our computer screens -- than regular cable, telephone or
wireless connections.
Wireless broadband
A broadband feed delivered to
your home or workplace over a ground-based antenna system or via satellite
signal.
Why wireless broadband?
It's a third option if your
local cable TV company won't be rolling out cable modem service in your
neighbourhood for some time. Or you may too far from a telephone company
central office to get a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) broadband link.
What benefits from wireless broadband
service are there?
The connection is always on,
which means you can access the Internet without the nuisance of dialling up
your Internet service provider over a telephone line.
The speeds at which information
is downloaded into your computer are at least 50 times faster than a dial-up
modem's.
Users can go online without
tying up their telephone lines.
Businesses can use broadband
networks for videoconferencing, for example, and to let employees
telecommute.
It can tap into a fast-growing
number of entertainment resources.
Links can be established in even
the remotest parts of the country.
Wireless
broadband services
Today, there are two major
technologies: fixed wireless and satellite.
How do fixed-wireless service work?
It gets its name from the fact
that its signals are delivered from stationary, or "fixed," antennas and
towers to antennas mounted on buildings, homes and other structures. The
systems use microwave radio frequencies to deliver Internet-access speeds of
up to 1.5 megabits per second (mbps) compared to the 56 kilobits per second
(kbps) that a dial-up modem offer.
Fixed-wireless services
MMDS (Multichannel Multipoint
Distribution Systems), which used to be called "wireless cable." It also
delivers TV service to about 1 million U.S. households.
LMDS (Local Multipoint
Distribution Systems), which primarily serves the business community in most
major U.S. markets. |
