Broadband is defined as an Internet connection which is ‘always on’ with a minimum download capacity of 256KB. ‘Broadband’ is a sunshade for a number of high-speed Internet access options. The broadband category includes ADSL, Cable and Satellite etc.

1. ADSL: uses the same telephone line for making voice calls on.
2. Cable: Download speeds are faster, access speed depends on number of users using the Internet at the same time.
3. Satellite: A broadband option for those in remote areas is satellite.

All broadband access methods have same speed. These are amongst the fastest ways for you to share, surf, upload, download, and play games online. Broadband is an internet service which is popularly known as ‘always on’ service that is gives you full use of your phone service without dialing each time you want to access the Internet. So you can keep making calls, chat with family and friends and fax while connected and the same internet connection can be used on more than one PC. Basically, broadband gives you a bigger tube to the Internet.

It’s well attractive considering everyone in the house will be online faster than ever before and your computer becomes the doorway to a world of online music, video, and entertainment.

Broadband services are expanding at record rates and prices are falling.

Now a day, the number of broadband households is growing continuously. The number of households with a data network will expand from 76 million in 2006 to nearly 162 million worldwide by 2010. In Australia, there are around 2 million households having a broadband Internet connection which makes around 25% of the Australian population. There are 40,000 new broadband connections every month.

From 2001 to 2006, there has been a major shift from narrowband to broadband—by most home Internet users in Australia. In June 2006, 71 per cent of home Internet users in Australia used broadband. This figure places Australia among a group of highly developed countries where broadband use has become the preferred technology for home Internet access.

The most significant difference between the two sets of data is that a greater proportion of broadband users perform each of the activities compared to dial-up users.