The World of Multimedia

1.      What is broadband?

The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device (and the broader the band, the greater the capacity for traffic)

. 2.      Outline the methods of delivery of broadband (wireless, cable, ADSL and fibre)? Identify the speed of each method.

DSL (ADSL/SDSL)

• DSL is a family of technologies that provides digital data transmission over the wires of a local telephone network.  DSL service is delivered simultaneously with regular telephone on the same telephone line. This is possible because DSL uses a higher frequency.

The data throughput of consumer DSL services typically ranges from 256 kbit/s to 20 Mbit/s in the direction to the customer (downstream), depending on DSL technology, line conditions, and service-level implementation.

Cable Broadband

• A cable modem is a type of network bridge and modem that provides bi-directional data communication via radio frequency channels on a HFC and RFoG infrastructure. They are commonly deployed in Australia, Europe, Asia and Americas.They reached a peak 10 Mbit/s downstream and 1.532 Mbit/s upstream. CDLP supported a maximum downstream bandwidth of 30 Mbit/s which could be reached by using several cable modems.

Wireless Broadband

• Originally broadband had a technical meaning, but became a marketing term for any kind of relatively high-speed computer network or Internet access technology. According to the 802.16-2004 standard, broadband means "having instantaneous bandwidths greater than 1 MHz and supporting data rates greater than about 1.5 Mbit/s

 Fibre Broadband

 Broadband internet service that is capable of offering access speeds up to 50Mbps (Megabits per second).Fibre Broadband (also known as Cable broadband) is slowly gaining momentum with the realisation that the UK is going to need this as the next step for high speed Internet access so as not to fall behind other countries.

3.      Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

Cable Broadband-Compared with dial-up internet, ASDL broadband is much quicker; how much depends on which package you buy.

4.      Give examples of broadband providers and identify the costs.Some broadband providers include Optus, iPrimus and Bigpond Broadband.

Optus Broadband-$79.99 per month= Standard Modem +Up To500 GB. Total minimum costs on 24 month plan is $2,168.76 250GB peak + 250GB off peak
Speed limited for both peak and off peak to 128kbps once peak or total data exceeded.

BigPond Broadband
BigPond® Turbo® 2GB Liberty®	2GB (then slowed to 64kbps)	24 months	From $9.952
ADSL / Cable EliteUp to: 20/1Mbps4 ADSL, 30Mbps/1Mbps4 Cable
BigPond Elite® 2GB Liberty	2GB (then slowed to 64kbps)	24 months	From $19.951
BigPond Elite 50GB Liberty	50GB (then slowed to 64kbps)	24 months	From $49.951
BigPond Elite 200GB Liberty	200GB (then slowed to 256kbps)	24 months	From $69.951

5.      The Federal Government is thinking of rolling out a national broadband network (The NBN). Research the NBN and find out:

a.       what method of delivery it will use

NBN will use the efficient delivery method of optic fibres. As opposed to copper wires which are used most commonly in Australia to transfer data. An optical fibre is a thin glass or plastic strand that carries light along its length. Light from lasers is shone down the fibre, and is detected by a receiver at the other end of the fibre. Optical fibre is capable of transmitting information at a practically unlimited rate over very long distances.

b.      the expected speed

The kind of optical fibre that NBN Co is deploying can assure speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second and higher, in the future.The NBN will connect 93 per cent of premises with fibre optic technology, capable of providing speeds of up to 1 gigabits per second.

c.       the expected costs

The wholesale cost is a minimum $24 a month for those who sign up and at least $150 a month if you want mega speeds.

Retailers will add their charges, which could bring the monthly bill to between $53 and $58 for basic services.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/editorials/how-much-will-nbn-cost/story-e6frfhqo-1225974123359

6.      Do you think Australians should invest in The NBN? Justify your answer.

Australia should not invest in NBN yet. This promisingly efficient plan will be delivered at a higher cost to what families may need or afford. Why spend money for the Nation when many are hesitant to use it? This money can be spent on more needed systems, projects, and more.

Advantages  

• Reception / Quality Issues. Both ADSL and wireless users can experience degraded quality and reduced speeds if they are a long way from the Internet service provider (ISP). The quality issue is something cable surfers don’t need to worry about.

• Speed. Cable Internet generally has a more constant top speed than the maximums available with wireless.
• Telephone Line. Like other types of broadband, your ability to make phone calls is not interfered with – in this case because your phone line has no relationship what-so-ever to your Internet.

Disadvantages

• Modem. You will need to buy a special cable modem to send and receive information via a fibre-optic cable.
• Network Clogging. The more people there are sharing the bandwidth, the slower your experience will be.
• Installation. If you haven't already connected to cable TV, you may need a professional to do the installation.
• Limits. Many packages place limits on downloads and BigPond is particularly keen on counting uploads.

Optical Fibre Broadband-

Advantages

Speed

• Fiber optic data transmission is incredibly fast.

RF Interference

• Fiber optic cables are not susceptible to RF (radio frequency) interference, which can be a major problem for users of typical coaxial cabling.

Distance

• Fiber optic cables can transmit data over exceptionally long distances without much data loss.

Disadvantages

Costs

• Fiber optic cabling can cost more than double what a typical broadband connection costs.

Availablity

• Fiber optic connections are not available in many areas. Currently, this is one of their biggest disadvantages.

Wireless Broadband-

Advantages-

The main advantage of using wireless broadband to connect to the Internet is the fact that you will be able to take your Internet connection anywhere you want.

Wireless broadband are also advantageous in terms of providing high speed internet access without the sometimes “irritating” wires or cable infrastructure that makes the place look clutters.

 Another advantage is its versatility in terms of providing good service not only to lightly populated areas, but also to highly populated areas. The cost involved in setting up a wireless broadband is also cheaper than setting up “wired broadband. “

Disadvantages-

limited availability, security issues regarding wireless broadband technology, and technical knowledge is needed to be able to set-up the wireless network completely. 

DSL( ASDL/SDSL) -

Advantages-

Another advantage is that broadband uses signals that do not disturb the normal phone signals, so you can use a telephone at the same time as accessing the internet.

One more, is that broadband is, in general, an 'always on' connection which means that it is always connected and ready to go. Because of this, broadband is billed either as a flat rate, or by the amount of data that you download rather than by the time connected as many dial-up providers use.

 

Disadvantage-

ADSL's pricing is variable/varying

 

If you are far away from a telephone line, then ASDL connection's quality may not as good.