The Ins and Outs of High Speed Internet Access
High Speed Internet access for both consumers and commercial customers alike has been all about speed. Today, even though speed is a consideration when selecting a provider, it is not all you need to know when selecting these services for your business. Getting through the “hype” is the hardest part and understanding the true value of a service takes digging into more than just the top download speed.
What is High Speed Internet?
High Speed Internet is a term used to describe a service that uses a wide range of frequencies that collectively are called bandwidth. The amount of bandwidth available determines how fast data can be either downloaded or uploaded through this pipeline. High Speed Internet services like Cable and DSL are capable of carrying larger amounts of data because they handle a much broader range (band) of frequencies.
Download vs. Upload
Download Speed is a term used to describe how quickly your computer is able to receive (download) data from the Internet. Download speed is a general benchmark of an Internet service and where most of the hype has been concentrated. Most access service providers compete in terms of offering a faster download speed (megabits (Mb) per second). Theoretically the larger the download speed, the faster you will be able to receive files from the Internet.
Upload Speed is the term used to describe the speed your computer is able to send (upload) the information via the Internet, and it is a very important component of your connection to the Internet. Whenever you log on to a web page or send a password to log on to your email account, you are uploading. For consumers, uploading may be less of a concern compared to downloading, yet for most businesses today upload speeds are a significant concern.
Asymmetrical vs. Symmetrical
Asymmetrical (Asynchronous) Bandwidth provides a higher download speed than upload speed. Access providers do this so that they can dedicate more bandwidth downstream for faster downloads. This is true for almost all of the home services where downloading data has been seen as more important than uploading data.
Symmetrical (Synchronous) Bandwidth provides the same upload speed as download speed. In most cases, this results in a lower overall download speed but the increased upload speed for most businesses is worth it. Symmetrical services are more favourable for business use, especially if your business regularly uploads large files or has a need for more frequent uploading.
