Types of Broadband
www.ConnectingCommunities.info
Broadband Flavors
Wired:
Wireless:
• Digital Subscriber
Lines (DSL)
• Satellite
• Cable Modem
• Wi-Fi
• Leased Lines (T1)
• Fiber Optic Cable
• Broadband Over
Powerline (BPL)
• Fixed Wireless
• WiMAX
Digital Subscriber
Line (DSL)
• Uses plain old phone lines (POTS)
• Voice and data over the same line
• Speed 1.5-8 Mbps
• Requires location near central phone office
or switch (18,000 feet)
• Phone lines are everywhere but not all of
them are able to support DSL
• Direct one-on-one connection; bandwidth is
not shared with neighbors
Cable Modem
• Faster than DSL
• Uses the same cable television lines that
deliver pictures and sound to your TV set
• Shared connection; speeds can slow down
when many people in the same
neighborhood are online
• Easy to install
Broadband Over
Powerline (BPL)
• Delivered through power lines
• Almost all homes and businesses are
connected to the power grid
• Still in early stages of development
• Potential interference with ham radio signals
• Speeds similar to DSL and cable
Satellite
• Available most places including hard-toreach rural areas
• Slower than cable or DSL. WildBlue
download speeds up to 1.5 Mbps and
upload speeds up to 256Kbps.
• Trees and heavy rain affects signal
• Need unobstructed view of southern sky
Fiber Optic Cable
• Delivered over fiber optic cables
• Very high bandwidth
• High cost to build fiber network
• Low maintenance
Wireless Broadband
• Fast relatively inexpensive deployment
• DSL and cable speeds
• Many varieties
— Point-to-Point
— Point-Multipoint
— Mesh
— Hot zones
— Hot spots
Point-to-Point Fixed
Wireless
• Uses part of the radio spectrum to send
and receive signals. Typically made up of
on-the-ground antenna-to-antenna
systems.
• Requires indoor or outdoor antenna
• Coverage about 5 miles transmitter or
access point
• High bandwidth
• Usually licensed
• Backbone or transport layer
• Line of site
Fixed Wireless
http://www.connectusa.com/faq.htm
Point-to-Multipoint
Fixed Wireless
• Broadband delivery to premise
• Consumer or business grade
• One antenna to many sites
• Line-of-sight
• Large coverage area
• Licensed or unlicensed
Mesh Network Wireless
• Nodes (radios)
• Connect to user
• Transmit to aggregation point
• Typically unlicensed
• Favor urban areas or hot zones
Aggregation
Point
Mobile Wi-Fi
• Wireless fidelity
• Wi-Fi access points found at cafés,
homes, campuses, businesses.
• Access is limited to 50-300 feet
• Coverage limited by location and number
of transmitters
• Relatively cheap for providers to set-up
• End-user equipment cheap and easy to
install
Where to Wi-Fi
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Hotels, motels, inns, and resorts
Airports
Public libraries
Cybercafes and fast food restaurants
Courthouses
City parks like NYC's Central Park
Public recreation areas and rest stops
Truck stops
RV parks
WiMAX
• Wi-Fi on steroids
• Can cover a large area – 30 miles
• Still in early stages of development
• Can support ultra-broadband - a really big
pipe with lots of bandwidth and speed.
Just what you would need to run your own
real-time online video channel.
How Much Broadband
Costs Depends on…
• How fast you want to go
• Residential or business use
• Pricing of the provider
Connecting Rural Communities
www.ConnectingCommunities.info
Connecting Rural Communities
Southern Rural Development Center