A broadband modem is a device that connects a computer to the Internet and to other computers on a network. Broadband modems are so named because they send and receive large amounts of data over a wide frequency band, usually over a fiber optic cable or telephone line. The modem changes this data when it arrives at the computer to convert it to digital signals and convert it back to frequencies when it is sent. Broadband modems replaced the older and slower technology of the dial-up modem, which required the exclusive use of a telephone line.
A broadband modem.
The computer’s modem, which is actually a combination of the words modulator and demodulator, is capable of modulating outgoing digital data into frequencies that can travel over telephone or cable lines, and also demodulating the data back into digital signals. when they come from another. font. Originally, modems were capable of very limited data transfer speeds, with dial-up modems, which used the same frequencies as a phone line, maxed out at 53,000 bits per second. Asymmetric digital subscriber lines (ADSL), as well as cable connections, can offer a much faster data transfer rate by using the upper range of telephone line frequencies in the case of ADSL and fiber optics in the case of cable.
Acoustic couplers, which send and receive computer data over telephone lines, predate modern modem technology.
These data transfer methods allow a wider range of frequencies to be used, which creates more space for data to travel. For example, a T1 broadband line can achieve transfer rates of up to 1,544,000 bits per second. Broadband is actually a relative term and can only be applied when comparing one method to another. Data transfer over a fiber optic line, for example, can be considered broadband compared to a dial-up modem due to the wide range of frequencies it uses. Currently, there is no international standard that indicates the bandwidth of a frequency before defining it as wide, although both fiber optic cable and ADSL are considered in this category.
One important thing to note about any broadband modem is that the data transfer mechanism is asymmetric, which means that the modem can download information much faster than it can upload, usually about ten times faster. A broadband modem can be internal or external to the computer, and its size and location do not affect its transmission capabilities. In addition, many devices, such as cell phones and laptops, can now connect to the Internet using a wireless broadband system that works over the airwaves of cell phone carriers. Most ISPs offer a broadband modem as part of a consumer starter package, and it is usually available for rent or purchase.
