What Is Broadband? Broadband or high-speed Internet access
allows users to access the Internet and Internet-related
services at significantly higher speeds than those available
through “dial-up” Internet access services. Broadband speeds
vary significantly depending on the particular type and level of
service ordered and may range from as low as 200 kilobits per
second (kbps), or 200,000 bits per second, to 30 megabits per
second (Mbps), or 30,000,000 bits per second. Some recent
offerings even include 50 to 100 Mbps. Broadband services for
residential consumers typically provide faster downstream speeds
(from the Internet to your computer) than upstream speeds (from
your computer to the Internet). How Does Broadband Work?
Broadband allows users to access information via the Internet
using one of several high-speed transmission technologies.
Transmission is digital, meaning that text, images, and sound
are all transmitted as “bits” of data. The transmission
technologies that make broadband possible move these