Communication Technology Update, 9th Edition

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Broadband Networks

Lon Berquist, M.A.^*

Broadband technology has been adopted by consumers throughout the world at a remarkable rate. Worldwide, there are more than 100 million broadband connections (Point Topic, 2004). In the United States, broadband has become one of the most rapidly-adopted consumer technologies ever, with early market penetration growing more swiftly than either personal computers or cell phones (Beardsley, et al., 2003). By 2003, 24% of U.S. households had broadband connections (Pew Internet, 2004).

Background

Broadband delivers voice, video, and data over a variety of transmission media. The terms “high-speed,” “advanced telecommunications,” “advanced services,” and “broadband” are often used interchangeably to describe ...