TheHistoryOf.net

Although the internet has existed for decades and been through several iterations, the introduction of broadband internet was arguably the biggest catalyst in making it what it is today. While dial-up connections provided speeds that were typically capped at 56 kbps, early broadband connections were capable of speeds of 512 kbps and more. The boost in speed helped make high-bandwidth sites such as YouTube possible while speeding up communication across the globe.

The End of Dial-up

The need for broadband access first arose toward the end of the 20th century. Internet access was starting to become more common in households throughout America and other countries, but was mostly restricted to dial-up connections. Dial-up had a few distinct drawbacks, the most obvious being speed. Dial-up didn't have the necessary bandwidth to load pages that were heavy in content, and something as simple as downloading a song could take over half an hour. Dial-up also required users to connect to the internet every time they wanted to use it, and connections were dropped whenever an incoming phone call was made. Dial-up was a very unstable way of accessing the internet, and something was needed to replace it to make way for the internet we know today.

A Faster Internet Solution

By 2000, companies had heard the demand for faster internet access loud and clear. Cable companies began rolling out their own internet service. The connections being offered started out with speeds that were nearly ten times faster than dial-up. The only hindrance to the services was that, like with most new technologies, they cost more than the average consumer could afford. Broadband access was also only available in a limited number of larger markets. As such, most initial subscribers to broadband were companies and the small amount of individuals who could afford it and felt it was worth it.

The Beginning of an Mobile Internet Era

Price barriers weren't a factor for long, though. Cable companies expanded their networks, and phone companies rolled out their own high-speed solutions that still used phone lines but didn't require dialing in. The expanded networks and increased competition between providers led to prices being reduced across the board. By 2004, the average price of broadband was generally considered affordable by most American households. Thanks to broadband access, online commerce saw a boom around this point. Most notably, Apple's iTunes store benefited greatly. While customers previously could only purchase and download a limited amount of songs each day, broadband enabled them to quickly purchase and download whole albums. This effect was seen across the entire internet for online merchants.

By the latter half of the 2000s, broadband had seen another leap the prevalence of wireless access. Consumer Wi-Fi became commonplace, allowing consumers to share their connection between several devices. Wi-Fi hotspots were also made available in places such as college campuses, libraries and restaurants. These were connections that anyone visiting could use. As Wi-Fi's popularity spread, access to the internet spread to where it is today. Virtually wherever a person is today, broadband access isn't far out of reach.

A New World of Wireless Internet Connection

More recently, broadband access has expanded beyond typical cable, DSL and satellite providers. Recognizing the demand by consumers to have internet everywhere, cellular providers such as Verizon and AT&T have begun offering portable devices that a user can take with them in order to have broadband access wherever they are. While early devices operated on slower 3G networks, new devices have been rolled out to access 4G LTE networks. These networks are faster than home broadband in many cases, and can be taken anywhere. Instead of relying on a combination of home internet service and public hotspots, users can now subscribe to one of these mobile hotspots and take their internet with them.

The future of broadband is still yet to be determined. Looking back at its rise, though, makes one aware of how much broadband internet has changed everything. Without broadband, services such as Netflix, streaming and cloud computing might not exist. Where broadband goes from here is unknown, but it has the potential to keep changing the way we communicate and live our lives.

About the Author:

This is a guest article by Ruben Corbo, a writer for the website Broadband Expert where you can find broadband internet in your area and compare prices on different deals for your mobile broadband needs.