Welcome to Broadband Internet
Broadband Cable Service Article
This is a selection made from among articles on Broadband Cable Service. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for future reading, click here.
from:
Broadband - Are You Content With Your Contention?
By Jay Tillotson
It's not a term most of us are familiar with, but the contention ratio is something that is quite important when looking for a broadband service. Taken into account with the stated top speed, it's a good indicator of how fast you can expect your connection to be.
Simply put, a contention ratio indicates how many people share your bandwidth. If your provider lists a ratio of 50:1, this means that when you're online, 49 other people are potentially competing with you for bandwidth. If some of those people are downloading mp3's or playing online games, your connection could drop quite noticeably.
A contention of 50:1 is the standard for home internet, and can usually provide a reasonably fast connection. Most businesses opt for a slightly lower contention of 20:1, and ratios of 1:1 are not unheard of.
Of course, just because broadband providers list a contention of 50:1 doesn't mean that all 50 people will be online at the same time. People have different requirements for the internet, and varying times they like to be online. Some never download anything but are quite content to sit and surf, so they don't use much of the available bandwidth at all.
If you're unsure what your current ratio is, ask your provider or check on their website. It may be that you have been having trouble with a slow connection and this could be the problem. If so, look around for a cheap broadband package with a lower contention rate. Broadband is meant to be fast. If you are only experiencing dial-up speeds with a broadband modem, investigate it. There could be a simple solution.
Want broadband? Find cheap broadband by comparing broadband providers online.
J Tillotson is a UK author specialising in technology and communications.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jay_Tillotson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Broadband---Are-You-Content-With-Your-Contention?&id=886829
Broadband Cable Service Specific links
Broadband Cable Service News
UPDATE: Clearwire CEO: Co Will Be Independently Run - CNN Money
NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Despite the investment of several heavy hitters, Clearwire Corp. (CLWR) will act as an independent company, according to Chief Executive Benjamin Wolff . The investors, which include tech giant Google Inc. (GOOG), won't have a ...
Read more...Telecom loses broadband overnight - Stuff
The service went down across New Zealand on Friday night for about eight hours, Radio New Zealand reported today. It was restored between 4am and 5am. A spokesperson says it was possible a power-related problem at a central exchange in Auckland might ...
Read more...Consumers Cutting Back On Premium Cable Service, Gadgets: Survey - Multichannel Online
Six in 10 consumers intend to cut spending in at least one area of communications and entertainment this holiday season, but purchases of broadband access seems the least likely area for cuts, according to a survey by Oliver Wyman, an international ...
Read more...Digital Media - CNET News
Analyst firm eMarketer has reduced its estimate for online ad spending in 2008 to $23.6 billion from its August estimate of $24.9 billion, with this year's online ad growth rate of 11.3 percent dropping to 8.9 percent in 2009. Looking on the bright ...
Read more...StarHub Launches 3G Femto Service - Unstrung.com
StarHub Pte. Ltd. , which offers mobile and cable network services in Singapore, has launched what it claims is the world's first commercial 3G femtocell service, called Home Zone. StarHub customers, who need a post-paid 3G mobile subscription, a 3G ...
Read more...WiMax Set to Take Off - Motley Fool
After many fits and starts -- and even near brushes with death -- it looks like a new nationwide broadband network based upon WiMax technology is set to spread across America. With a combination of assets and new cash funding now in place, the new ...
Read more...Strategy Analytics: Time Warner Cable Most Vulnerable To Broadband ... - TMCnet
Three out of every four US broadband subscribers would be willing to leave their current Broadband Service Provider (BSP), according to a survey just published by analyst firm Strategy Analytics. Within this average, Time Warner Cable is the most ...
Read more...Cox Announces Availability of 3rd Quarter Financial Results for ... - TMCnet
ATLANTA, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Communications, Inc. today announced the posting of 3rd quarter results to its password-protected web page for investors. Cox provides financial information to the fixed-income investment community on a voluntary ...
Read more...Multi-Links Telkom begins broadband Internet services in Lagos - Vanguard
Fixed wireless phone operator, Multi-Links Telkom last week rolled out its broadband EVDO package, an innovative Internet service that would ensure a seamless connection to the worldwide web, to its Lagos customers. EVDO – is a mobile broadband ...
Read more...Survey: Broadband Subs Could Defect - Multichannel Online
Three out of four high-speed data customers would switch providers given a lower-priced alternative, according to a recent survey from Boston-based Strategy Analytics, throwing a wrench into what has been one of the cable industry’s steady growth ...
Read more...