Dial-up was slow. It used a phone line and a modem that screeched. Broadband replaced it. Broadband is high-capacity transmission over multiple frequencies. It carries data, voice, and video at the same time. It is always on. You do not dial in. You just connect.

The term originally meant a wide band of frequencies. Now it means fast internet. The FCC defines broadband as at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload. That definition rises over time. Other countries use different thresholds. What counts as broadband keeps changing as technology improves.

Broadband technologies

• DSL: over phone lines
• Cable: over coaxial TV lines
• Fiber: over optical cables
• Satellite: from orbit
• Fixed wireless: radio links
• Mobile: 4G and 5G

Broadband is not equally available. Rural areas often lack it. Low-income households may not afford it. The digital divide is a broadband divide. Governments subsidize buildout and offer discounts. But the gap persists. The internet assumes broadband. Not everyone has it.