Broadband

In telecommunications, broadband is known as any type of network with a high capacity to transport information that affects its transmission speed. Thus, it is the transmission of symmetrical data by which several pieces of information are sent simultaneously, in order to increase the effective transmission speed. In computer network engineering this term is also used for methods where two or more signals share a transmission medium. Thus, two or more simultaneous data channels are used in a single connection, which is called multiplexing (see section below).

Some variants of fiber to the home (Fiber To The Home) services are broadband. The routers that operate with speeds greater than 100 Mbps are also broadband, since they obtain symmetrical transmission speeds.

The concept of broadband has evolved over the years. The speed provided by the ISDN with 128 Kbps gave way to SDSL with a speed of 256 Kbps. Later it evolved, going from symmetrical 25 and 50 Mbps to 600 Mbps today.

Broadband speed

Broadband is not a static concept, as Internet access speeds are constantly increasing. Speeds are measured in bits per second, for example, kilobits per second (Kbps) or megabits per second (Mbps). The minimum speed to be considered broadband varies between countries, and even within a country the authority may consider as broadband a speed value different from that which the operator estimates as broadband. It has been proposed that one way to determine the existence of broadband is based on the services that can be accessed (eg, fast Internet file downloads, CD-equivalent audio quality, voice services). interactive). The wide availability of broadband is considered a factor for innovation, productivity, economic growth and foreign investment.

The concept of broadband must be attributed other characteristics, in addition to speed, such as interactivity, digitization and connection or access capacity (primary function of broadband).

Patterson already mentioned that the broadband connection depends on the communications network, on the provision of the service. In his book Latency lags bandwidth. Communications of the ACM written in 2004 states that delay is a critical aspect for the performance of a real system.

Multiplexing

Communications can use different physical channels simultaneously; that is, multiplex to have multiple access. Such channels can be distinguished from one another by being separated by time (time division multiplexing, or TDM), carrier frequency (frequency division multiplexing, FDM or wavelength division multiplexing, WDM), or by code (frequency division multiplexing, WDM). by code division, CDMA). Each channel that takes part in the multiplexing is by definition narrowband (since it is not using all the bandwidth of the medium).

Legal connotation

Implies the right to access high-speed Internet. In other words, the right to access an efficient, high-speed service with a great capacity for information transmission. Broadband is important, because with it you can access other services offered by the Internet.

Mexico

The Political Constitution states, in its sixth article, the right of access to information technologies, including broadband and the Internet.

Its regulatory law, called the "Federal Law of Telecommunications and Broadcasting", establishes in its article 2 that:

“In the provision of such services, all discrimination based on ethnic or national origin, gender, age, disability, social status, health conditions, religion, opinions, sexual preferences, marital status or any other that infringes human dignity is prohibited and is intended to nullify or impair the rights and freedoms of persons”.

Also, it defines broadband as:

“the high-capacity access that allows to offer various convergent services through reliable network infrastructure, regardless of the technologies used, whose parameters will be updated by the Federal Telecommunication Institute periodically.”

This law establishes the obligation of the State to implement public policies to provide access to information and communication technologies, including broadband Internet for the entire population, with special emphasis on the most vulnerable sectors, with the purpose of to close the digital gap between individuals, households, companies and geographic areas of different socioeconomic levels.

Similarly, it establishes that the Ministry of Communications and Transportation will implement broadband access programs in public sites that progressively identify the number of sites to be connected each year, until reaching universal coverage.

The National Digital Strategy programs public policies that allow the right to broadband Internet access connectivity through the México Conectado Program. To this end, broadband Internet access is provided for in public places, identifying the number of buildings to be connected each year, until universal coverage is achieved. It will be sought that broadband connectivity in public sites has sufficient capacity to meet demand and, therefore, the potential number of users in each site must be considered.