Introduction

Broadband technologies have been heavily expanding and developing over the past few years with providers trying to find the most economical and quickest ways to bring faster, more reliable services to their millions of users. There are several technologies that are being looked at for future deployment in terms of home delivery of broadband.

The two, most promising (and costly) possibilities involve using fibre optics. Fibre optics are made up of tiny, hair-sized fibres, made of either glass or plastic that carry information in the form of light. Fibre optics can be deployed either directly to the home or to a ?cabinet?. Fibre to the home would involve outfitting every home with fibre optic cables, an expensive endeavour, whereas Fibre to the cabinet is less expensive because it utilizes both fibre optics and copper cables. The fibre optic cables would essentially run into street cabinets and then copper cables would run from the cabinets into homes. Fibre to the home can see speeds between 50Mbps and 100Mbps while Fibre to the cabinet would have a maximum speed of 60Mbps.

WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperablity for Microwave Access) is another, relatively new broadband technology making waves in the industry. WiMAX is similar to WiFi but provides data transfer over much larger distances. WiMAX offers speeds up to 70Mbps and can operate up to 50 kilometres away from the source and is currently being planned for a nationwide roll out in Pakistan.

Cable broadband is also a technology looking to improve on speed and usability. Currently Cable broadband (also known as DOCSIS 1.0) can offer speeds up to just 38Mbps however a new system called DOCSIS 3.0 has been tested at up to 120Mbps and higher. Cable broadband is also a good option because it is not dependant on proximity or number of users.

What is Mobile Broadband Technology?

Mobile broadband technology can be a confusing concept to grasp – It works like the internet, but it operates the same way a cell phone does. And there are different kinds of the technology, different networks and lots of providers to sort through. Below you’ll find some of the basics on mobile broadband for those less technically inclined folk.

Since nowadays the internet is a necessity, not a luxury, people are finding that they want to have access to it everywhere and anytime. Enter broadband mobile technology – Internet that can be accessed literally anywhere you can get a cell phone signal, inside or outside.

Mobile broadband operates on the same technology that cell phones do, this means that through radio waves and frequencies, packets of information are sent back and forth. In terms of a phone call, the packet would be voice information however for mobile broadband the packets are all data in the form of things like email and web pages.

There are two kinds of technologies that mobile devices currently use: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). Mobile broadband operates on a third-generation of this technology which is why it is called 3G.

The CDMA version of mobile broadband is called EV-DO ((Evolution-Data Optimized or Evolution-Data Only). This technology runs on the part of the cell network that is used for data. But because EV-DO requires that you separate the data information from the voice information, you can’t actually talk on the phone while at the same time surfing the internet. On the other hand the GSM technology, called HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access), can handle both data and voice information at the same time.

Both types of technology require that you have some kind of hardware set up in your device or computer to access the network (like a network card) and both run at varying speeds (between 300-700 Kbps). GSM is very popular in Europe while CDMA is more popular in North America.

Introduction

In today’s age everyone wants the fastest internet speeds. They want to upload and download files quickly, surf the net easily, stream videos in an instant and lots more. But have you ever noticed your internet speed slow slightly and don’t seem to know why? There are several reasons why this could be happening which might be hindering you from getting the most out of your broadband internet.

Firstly, if you are using a wireless connection the most common problem leading to slow speeds is unfortunately your location. While wireless internet is extremely convenient and mobile it isn’t perfect. The further you get from your signal the slower your speed becomes. Another problem wireless broadband user’s face revolves around sharing their network. If you are running an unsecure network you may have users piggybacking on your network and using up your bandwidth. Or you may simply have a few members in your family who like to download too many large files at once! Either of these issues could result in slower speeds for everyone in the house.

Another problem could be with the hub computer used to emit the broadband signal. If it is not equipped to handle enough users it can get bogged down which will in turn slow the service. If you end up here and your provider can’t seem to handle the load you should consider switching!

Another very common reason broadband speeds may slow down is due to viruses and spyware. These take up valuable chunks of your internet connection and computer speed and therefore can slow everything down. Also, having old, out-of-date software (like an older version of Internet Explorer) could also cause slow speeds as well.

The best tips to avoid slow broadband are to secure your network so that only users you give access to can utilize it, to try and avoid doing any heavy surfing and file sharing during peak hours of the day when most users would be online, to secure and routinely scan your computer with a virus protection program and to keep your software and programs up-to-date.

Businesses often rely on high speed options such as T1 broadband, although faster residential options are available as well.

Most mobile devices, including mobile phones, smart phones and laptops, have wireless broadband capability, allowing their users to access the internet from virtually anywhere – in theory. In actuality, however, there is a gap between the capabilities of the devices and the functionality of wireless networks. One of the most prominent illustrations of this predicament is the inaccessibility of mobile broadband when travelling underground on subways.

In 2006, over 30 million people around the world bought smart phones, a number that continues to rise each year, but what use is a smart phone if it cannot reach its full potential? Subways and busses are the top locations for mobile device usage, so it is becoming a central concern that cities begin to meet their needs.

A solution seems to have presented itself. WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), a new telecommunications technology which provides users with the ability to transmit data wirelessly, is currently being tested in locations with high underground travel rates, such as Seoul, Baltimore and Atlanta. While American cities have yet to realize WiMax’s usefulness, Korea has taken full advantage of this new technology.

Seoul, South Korea, has one of the most efficient WiMax networks in the world, with almost every corner of the city having been equipped with mobile WiMax coverage. Anyone with a smart phone or a laptop can access the internet from anywhere in the city, including from underground locations. Throughout their subway system WiBro (wireless broadband) transmitters are installed at 400-metre intervals, allowing commuters to surf the web from their mobile devices at broadband speeds upwards of 4mbps.