Broadband Internet Providers

Broadband Internet generically refers to Internet connections exceeding the abilities of standard analog modems and of ISDN connections, i.e. connections with speeds above 128 kilobits per second (kb/s).

In some countries broadband services operate at over 1 Mbps for connections to private residences, with higher data transfer rates possible for business purposes, but involving a correspondingly higher charge.

Most residential customers of broadband Internet have connections either via cable Internet providers, or via DSL Internet providers, and these typically run at over 380 kbps. Commercial users can obtain higher data rates for a higher subscription.

Apart from providing faster data transfer, broadband networks also provide the possibility of higher performance for streaming data, such as audio and video streams. There are now many streaming audio services, and several streaming video services. Broadband Internet also facilitates the use of file sharing software.