Broadband at a Glance

Broadband is the most common form of internet access, and almost everyone these days is utilizing it, but so many people don’t understand what broadband actually is, or how it benefits them (beyond just their home internet connection). Broadband, a wide-width internet transmission, is basically just an internet service that doesn’t need to be hooked onto a phone line to connect (i.e. “dial-up”). When most people hear the word “broadband”, they think of the middle child of internet services – after dial-up but before wi-fi, but the truth is that wi-fi is actually a form of broadband. In fact, there are four different types of broadband internet: DSL, fiber optic, cable, and satellite. The most commonly used, wi-fi, falls under the DSL and/or cable categories, depending on your internet provider. 

The emergence of broadband internet has helped rural communities tremendously, enabling communities that otherwise would not/didn’t have internet to utilize internet services. Broadband has ushered in a new era of internet usage, with almost everyone being able to have home internet or take advantage of internet services at schools, libraries, and at work. Broadband companies, especially those in rural areas, have contributed over $25 billion dollars to the economy in the past few years, and those numbers are only growing. Broadband services have expanded over 20% in rural communities in that same time frame, enabling smaller cities and towns to utilize the newest technology in all fields including education (online learning), business (remote jobs), healthcare (telemedicine), and so much more. 

For those in the business sector, keeping an eye on broadband performance is very important. Those with a keen eye for business and finance know that checking the annual Broadband market report for trends, strategies and the latest developments within the industry is a key element to maintaining any business, especially one that is highly dependent on the internet. Internet as a whole is constantly evolving, so quickly that it’s hard to keep up, especially in the area of mobile technology and data. But keeping an eye on broadband trends and developments is every bit as important, as many industries across the world still rely very heavily on broadband. And that’s something that isn’t going to change any time soon. The internet industry will only continue to grow, as more and more rural areas and communities get better internet services by demand, “internet for all” continues to be proposed and more and more businesses are offering free wi-fi and “cloud” based internet for customers and clients. The internet has become every bit as much a utility as electric or water service; it is a necessity for all. 

To this end, keeping track of data and analytics and market trends in the broadband industry is paramount to understanding how the world is utilizing the internet  as we enter into uncertain times. Businesses that keep track of broadband market reports, internet trends and emerging technology will have a major leg up on the competition and a better understanding of how to grow their businesses.