Internet Access Technology Types Explained

The internet plays a critical role in virtually every aspect of our lives, so much that it is unimaginable what life without the internet would look like. While the internet has been in use for quite some time, it is only in the last few decades that it has morphed from luxury to attaining a fundamental human right status.

Many people now use the internet in their day-to-day lives, but only a few take the time to know anything beyond using it. But if you are searching for your home’s internet service provider (ISP), it is vital to have a basic understanding of internet access technologies.

Choosing an ISP for Your Home

Choosing an ISP for your home is a big deal, and you need to get it right from the word go. Most people turn to the internet to find an ISP near them.

Unfortunately, an internet search may not offer much help and will most likely make your search more complicated, given the many search results that you will get.

Fortunately, leveraging local resources can help you find the best ISP within your locality. iSelect, for instance, is an excellent comparison tool that can help you find a refined list of Australian internet providers near you.

Types of Internet Access Technology

There are quite a good number of internet access technologies that you may want to consider when choosing an ISP, which include:

DSL

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is an internet access technology that delivers internet connectivity to your home via your existing wired telephone system. This form of internet access technology is the cheapest of all.

So, if you are on a budget, DSL may be a good option for you. Though affordable, DSL has its limitations in terms of speed and usage.

In most locations, the maximum speeds attainable with a DSL connection is 25mbps and up to 100mbps, where the lines are relatively new. Additionally, you can only have your line serving one purpose at a time; either you are calling or accessing the internet on your line.

Cable

Cable is the most used internet access technology. This technology relies on the cables used in cable TV to deliver relatively fast speeds compared to DSL.

This technology leverages a standard known as DOCSIS, an acronym for Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification, and a compatible modem to sort TV and internet signals while allowing both to simultaneously work on the same line.

This technology supports speeds above 100mps, which could be more than enough for home use. Its main downside is that you do not have a dedicated connection meaning the internet is shared within your neighborhood, translating to extremely low speeds during peak hours.

Fiber Optic

Fiber optic is the latest form of internet access technology. The technology involves the conversion of electric signals into light signals which are then transmitted through fiber optic cables. Light travels faster than electricity which explains the high speeds of a fiber optic connection.

The main drawback to fiber optic is that it is limited in the areas in which it is accessible. You may want to research if a fiber-optic connection is an option in your neighborhood before considering it as an option.

Other Types of Internet Access Technologies

Another type of internet access technology you may want to consider is satellite. This option is limited in its speeds, with the highest speeds being under 25mps. However, this connection option is very stable.

Another internet access technology is the mobile broadband connection accessible through a mobile phone. This technology is available in 1G, to the most recent 5G that offers incredible speeds.

Mobile broadband, particularly the 5G option, can be pretty expensive, and you may only use it for the lack of an alternative.