Broadband ISP Technology

Broadband technology enables Internet connections that are anywhere from five to 2,000 times faster than earlier dial-up connections, according to the International Telecommunication Union. Internet service providers use this connection capacity or bandwidth to deliver services such as Internet, voice, and video to businesses and consumers. Broadband differs from dial-up in that it contains a wide band of frequencies, allowing information to be sent over several channels or frequencies within the band at the same time. This results in enhanced Internet, voice and video services for the end user.

Internet service providers offer many kinds of broadband technologies. Digital subscriber lines or DSL is one of the most common, using different frequencies and a standard phone line to split voice and data services. Cable broadband is delivered to the end user through cable lines to the service address. Fiber optic cable has the ability to employ lasers to send pulses of light through fine strands of silicon. Fiber broadband technology has the ability to carry thousands of times more data concurrently than its predecessors. Wi-Fi and Wireless Local Area Networks receive and transmit data through electromagnetic waves, allowing end users to access connections wirelessly.

One of the most significant benefits of broadband technology is speed. ISPs can provide subscribers with speeds that allow rapid streaming and downloading of files. Japan's largest cable company, J:Com, offers residential subscribers speeds of up to 160 Mbps. In the United States, most residential subscribers have access to download speeds of up to 10 Mbps or more. Broadband technologies give subscribers options. Consumers can go with satellite, cable, DSL or wireless Internet service providers based on needs and cost. Broadband technologies make consumers' lives easier. End users can access cloud-based applications and stay productive outside of the office. Businesses are flourishing because of the speeds that the broadband technologies of Internet service providers allow.

Broadband technologies can be costly. According to a "New York Times" article, cable operators are fearful of the implications of making higher transmission speeds available to subscribers as video on the web might result in a decline in video sales and less profit margins for providers. It might be some time before broadband technologies may be considered an affordable option for a majority of consumers nationwide. Subscribers of satellite broadband may experience interference because of severe weather conditions. DSL subscribers must have an active landline phone jack to receive Internet service. Wireless subscribers can be subject to "black spots" or areas of no receptivity along with interference from competing wireless devices.