What is Broadband and What Are its Advantages?

What is Broadband? The term ‘broadband’ applies to a wide range of different forms of technology, all of which have in common an ability to provide a high bandwidth connection to the Internet.

This connection can be made via a phone line, satellite or cable. Before broadband connections were available in the home, the only way to access the Internet was by way of dial-up connection facilitated by a telephone and a modem. The following eight advantages of broadband make it clear why this type of internet connection has resulted in huge advances in the way we utilize the Internet.

1) Broadband offers a permanent connection:

With a broadband connection, you can have constant access to the Internet (barring any interruptions in the service provided by your ISP). There is no need to dial up in order to gain access.

2) Broadband does not limit your time on the internet:

Most broadband connections offer you unlimited access for a monthly fee, so you can spend as much time on the Internet as you like (and download as much information as you want). Older methods of connecting to the internet often led to huge bills, as it was easy to forget that you were being charged by the minute or by the hour.

3) Broadband frees up your phone line:

Dial up connections temporarily blocked your phone line for the duration that you were using the internet. With a broadband connection, your ability to make phone calls remains entirely unaffected.

4) Broadband allows you to participate in video chats:

With a broadband connection, you can experience a fun and rewarding video chat with a relative at the other side of the world (in real time). Typically, broadband makes sure that there are very few lags in conversation and that the video quality is extremely high. This way of maintaining and strengthening long-distance bonds was simply impossible with a dial up connection.

5) Broadband allows you to download files almost instantly:

With a broadband connection, huge amounts of data can now be acquired at extraordinary speeds. Websites appear within seconds, and a large movie file can be on your computer in mere minutes. This helps you to maximize efficiency during your time spent on the computer.

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6) Broadband provides fast streaming:

If you like music, you can use a broadband connection to listen to your favorite radio stations at your computer. You can also view live television, stream new albums, watch repeats of earlier shows you have missed, and play high-speed online games. Dial up connections only provided streaming media at very low levels of quality.

7) Broadband allows you to send and receive substantial email attachments:

With a broadband connection, you can quickly and easily send video clips or large pictures to loved ones (or business contacts). You can also view such attachments immediately. When dialup connections were the norm, you could only attach very small files, and this prevented the exchange of high-resolution images.

8) Broadband makes it easier to work from home:

Finally, the high speeds that are provided by a broadband connection make it feasible and effective to work from home. You can participate in conference calls, engage in instant messaging with colleagues, upload pertinent information and instantly acquire important new documents.

     Sam Jones

About the Guest Author:

Sam Jones, the author, wanted to know what is broadband and whether he should upgrade his existing connection.