A little Microsoft humor...

[Paul Lussier]

Neil Joseph Schelly <neil at jenandneil.com> writes:

> I read that quickly, but couldn't get to a point.  What difference does the 
> semantic definition of broadband mean anyway? I get 1Mbps SDSL to my home 
> with reliable bandwidth available, a line that never fails (or if it does, I 
> get an RFO), and a static IP (or more if I want them), and reverse DNS for 
> $50/month.  I consider that broadband service and a notch above the typical 
> out there, even if I can't burst to 8Mbps or whatever the going cable rate 
> is.

An OC3 is > 8Mbps, but is not technically "broadband".  Broadband and
bandwidth are not synonomous terms.  One is a means of delivering
data, the other is a measurement of how much data you can deliver in a
given amount time.

You can have a broadband connection that delievers < 1Mpbs.
According to Wikipedia:

  Broadband in telecommunications is a term which refers to a signaling
  method which includes or handles a relatively wide range of
  frequencies...

So, as long as the signalling is occuring over multiple frequencies,
regardless of *HOW MUCH* data is being delivered, you have a broadband
connections.  DSL is broadband, a T1 is not.

-- 
Seeya,
Paul