GLOSSARY
TYPE OF INTERNET SERVICE CONNECTION
Dial up
Access to the Internet using the telephone network via an attached modem. Its
speed is usually slower and it is sometimes referred to as “narrowband.” Dial up
service can be provided by telecom companies such as AT&T and Verizon, or
independent companies such as NetZero or PeoplePC.
DSL
DSL is a wireline high-speed Internet access (broadband) technology that uses local
telephone network for data transmission. Typically, DSL’s speed is much faster than
the traditional dial-up method. Major providers of DSL in the U.S. include AT&T,
Verizon, and Charter.
Cable
Cable or cable modem is a type of wired high-speed Internet access method that
provides Internet access via the coaxial cable television infrastructure that also
delivers pictures and sound to your TV set. Major providers of cable broadband in
the U.S. include Time Warner, Comcast, Charter and Cox.
Leased Line:
Leased line is a permanently-connected high-speed data transmission line that is
rented exclusively for an internet connection. T1, T3 and others are different types
of leased lines with different speeds used in telecommunications
Satellite:
Satellite broadband is a wireless high-speed Internet connection method using
satellites in orbit. It is particularly useful for serving remote or sparsely populated
areas. Major providers of satellite broadband include Wildblue and Hughes
Networks.
Area wireless
This is wireless service that is provided by a tower outside of the building and is
available to multiple users in the buildings and homes within its broadcast area.
The only thing needed to access this service is a wireless card in the computer and
subscription to access.
Fiber Optic
Fiber optic connects customers to the Internet via thin glass fibers. Fiber transmits
data at speeds far exceeding current DSL or cable modem speeds. Examples of
current fiber optics deployments include Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-Verse.
NETWORKS
Municipal
network
State network:
Municipal networks are broadband access service provided, either fully or partially,
by local government to multiple community users. Sometimes municipal networks
are established jointly by the local government and private companies such as
EarthLink. This kind of network may take the form of city-wide Wi-Fi, or fiber
optics.
State networks are broadband access service provided, either fully or partially, by
state government. Examples of state network include Missouri Research and
Education Network (MOREnet).
KBPS (kilobytes per second) AND MBPS (megabytes per second):
KBPS
A kilobit per second (kbit/s or kbps) is a unit of data transfer rate equal to 1,000 bits
per second; range is typically 128k to 756 k, but can be higher (as much as 1,500k)
MBPS
A megabit per second is a unit of data transfer rate equal to 1,000,000 bits per
second or a thousand times faster per second than kbps (1,500 KBPS = 1.5 MBPS);
range is typically 1.0 to 15 MBPS, but can be up to 100 MBPS.
INTERNET SERVICE CONNECTION – SPEED RANGES
Please note that for Q.8, the speed of the internet connection refers to the download speed or committed
speed on the bill (not the boost rate or upload speeds). It is the internet connection speed the internet
service provider (ISP) states the library will get, not the speed that it will necessarily get every time.
Dial up
DSL
Cable
Leased Line (partial T1, T1, T3)
Satellite
Area wireless
Fiber Optic
Up to 128 KBPS
Typical is 256 KBPS to 1.5 MBPS, but may be
as high as 24 MBPS
Typical speed is 5 MBPS, but can range from
1.5 MBPS to 50 MBPS
Speed by line type is:
T1 = 1.544 MBPS
T2 = 6 MBPS
T3 = 45 MBPS
T4 = 275 MBPS
Typical speed is 56 KBPS to 1.5 MBPS, but
can be as fast as 500 MBPS
Typical speed is 12 MBPS to 40 MBPS
depending on the equipment used.
Typical speed is 10MBPS to 50MBPS