Lost in Cyberspace: Broadband

• Published in: Link-Up (Minneapolis, Minn. 1983) Vol. 18; no. 2; p. 11
• Main Author: Koplowitz, H B
• Format: Magazine Article
• Language: English
• Published: Medford Information Today, Inc 01.03.2001
• Subjects: Advantages; Broadband; Cable TV; Computer Oriented Programs; Computer Peripherals; Computer Software; Digital music; Information Retrieval; Internet; Internet access; Modems; Music; Paraprofessional Personnel; Service introduction; Singing; Software; Streaming media; Television; Websites; United States > US
• ISSN: 0739-988X

For home computer users, broadband Internet connections currently come in two flavors: digital subscriber line (DSL), which piggybacks onto a customer's copper telephone line, and cable, which comes through a coaxial TV cable. Whether broadband is worth it depends on what a user does online. DSL and cable connections are generally more reliable than dial-up modems and significantly faster at some tasks, such as downloading MP3 files with Napster. For all the hype, broadband mainly improves bottleneck problems associated with what is known as the last mile-the distance between your computer and your Internet provider's nearest server. Another area where broadband beats modems is FTP, or file transferring.