Broadband is a type of data transmission in which a single medium (wire) can carry several channels at once. Cable TV, for example, uses broadband transmission. In more technical terms, broadband refers to transmission speed of 1.54 million per second or more using a single medium, such as wire, that has two or more channels carrying information at once.



While some communications only send one signal down a wire, broadband sends numerous channels at once, meaning more data. In every day use, broadband just means "high bandwidth".

There are four main broadband technologies; ADSL, Cable, Satellite and Terrestrial Wireless.

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) : is a technology of transmitting digital information at high bandwidth on existing phone lines. ADSL is used to deliver high rate digital data over existing ordinary phone lines. ADSL can transmit more than 6mbps to a subscriber, enough to provide internet access, Video-on-demand, and LAN access.

Cable : The fibre-optics technology can provide nearly unlimited bandwidth potentials and is steadily replacing copper network especially in intra-city backbone networks. Laying fibre-optics is expensive and only those who live or work in urban areas likely to be within striking distance of a cable node.

Satellite : Delivering data from space secure unsurpassed coverage of the planet, but it is a one-way system download only.

Wireless. : Many analyst see wireless data transfer, based on radio frequencies, being of greatest use within homes or offices. You could use your laptop at up to 11 mbps in any room in the house, without having to have phone or cable ports in every room.