Broadband refers to high-speed internet access that is capable of transmitting large amounts of data at a fast rate. It is a term that is used to describe an internet connection that is faster than traditional telephone network based dial-up or digital subscriber line (DSL) connections.
Broadband internet connections can be delivered through a variety of mediums including coaxial cable (i.e. cable internet), ethernet, fiber optic, satellite, and fixed wireless.
Broadband connections provide users with faster download and upload speeds, which enables them to access and share large files, stream high-quality video, use video conferencing and online gaming, and access cloud-based applications and services. Broadband connections are measured in terms of download and upload speeds, typically in megabits per second (Mbps) (not to be confused with megabytes — MBps — which is more commonly used in reference to things like storage and computer memory speeds).
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines broadband as having a minimum download speed of 25 Mbps and a minimum upload speed of 3 Mbps (often notated as 25Mbps/3Mbps). However, many broadband connections offer much faster speeds than this.