definition of broadband

phoenix2181

taken from todays edition of cnet news

The Federal Communications Commission defines broadband as a 200kbps, always-on connection--a standard that falls far below the level needed to deliver crisp, uninterrupted video to a computer. Some video-on-demand companies say that standard is too slow.


what does eircom define broadband has???

longword

Originally posted by phoenix2181
what does eircom define broadband has???

The use of a wide band of frequency to provision a service. Where 'wide' is a number sufficiently small to meet the marketing needs of the organization - 144kHz at this time, but naturally subject to change at any minute.

To the best of my knowledge, Eircom's definition of broadband is absolutely unique within the internet, telecoms, and RF transmission industries.

SkepticOne

There's a much older definition based on the idea of multiple channels over a single medium which is not in common usage. By this definition ISDN could be considered broadband since there are two channels available for data and a single telephone line is used. Eircom have recently referred to ISDN as broadband so they could be still using this meaning.

This old definition does not depend on data rates. Outside of Ireland you would be laughed at if you insisted on using this definition in general conversation.

In general talk, broadband simply means a fast data rate. So, for example, Internet access over ethernet would be considered broadband since it is very fast even though, by the old technical definition above, it is not.

Evidence that the meaning is changing, even among communications engineers, can be got from the fact that a new form of ISDN (B-ISDN or broadband ISDN) is being developed who's main characteristic is that it is several times faster than ordinary ISDN. This is not to be confused with primary rate ISDN.

Of course the FCC definition pretty much decides the matter too.

longword

Originally posted by SkepticOne
In general talk, broadband simply means a fast data rate. So, for example, Internet access over ethernet would be considered broadband since it is very fast even though, by the old technical definition above, it is not.

Funny enough in the realm of Engineering, broadband tends to mean "Opposite of baseband". Baseband is a modulated digital or analog signal that stretches down to 0Hz or DC while broadband would be a signal that has been shifted up the RF spectrum leaving lower frequency bands free. Ethernet is a baseband technology, so that's two counts against it

SkepticOne

Originally posted by phoenix2181
what does eircom define broadband has???

To answer this qustion. Eircom considers 128kb/s ISDN to be broadband.

J@ck Chri5tie

On one of the reports over on the EU Commission site, they refer to ISDN as narrowband.

From 'eEurope Benchmarking Report 2002':

"Connectivity remains dominated by narrowband technologies: over two thirds
of school connections are ISDN and the others mostly dial-up via a regular
phone line. Broadband technologies are marginal, although ADSL and cable
modemare now more widely used in a few countries."

Also "Definition: high speed defined as ADSL, cable, satellite, fixed-wireless, UMTS (in future)" from 'benchmarking indicator_list.pdf'.

JC