Evolution of Internet & Broadband

Evolution of Internet & Broadband

From dial-up to 5th Generation networking and many more Generations to come, today we will be discussing the evolution of the internet. With each passing year, the dependency of humanity on the internet is increasing. Everything is found on the internet, from utility bidder to details regarding all new innovations. Finding something that has no Involvement on the internet is nearly impossible nowadays. As the internet has developed, the different ways to utilize the internet has also expanded. Today we find business that can offer good or services to consumers directly from the internet, without physically being at the business. This has become the norm, from e-commerce giants like Amazon to law firms like Fair Credit. Failing to make use of the internet to expand your consumer base only benefits your competitors who do utilize the internet to market their products or services.

Some years ago, the Internet was a way for the US military to keep in touch with the heartbeat of the human race. With the increasing usage, popularity, and need of the internet, let us look back to where it all started.

The Beginning

According to history, the Defense Advanced Projects Agency developed the internet in the US to help military technology stay ahead of their enemies in the Cold War. The primary objective of this research was to better the communication, so long-range surprise attacks will longer occur. When referring to the internet, we cannot call a single person the father of the internet as not one person invented it. Several scientists and engineers together created the ARPANET. With that started the journey of the internet, and other inventors’ paved the way for the web as we know it today.

Dial-up

In 1979, dial-up Internet access called the USENET was created by two graduates of Duke University. Dial-up Internet Access is the type of Internet access that uses the facilities of a Public Switched Telephone Network to connect to an Internet Service Provider by dialing a specific telephone number on a conventional telephone line. As there was no technology to allow different signals on a telephone line at the time, dial-up internet access relied on using audio signals. Dial-up connects to the internet requiring no additional source other than a telephone line where modems and servers work to make and answer the calls.

So, it is called dial-up because the devices dial each other up to connect.

Broadband

Broadband is the connection that removed the need for Dial-up and played a vital role in the evolution of the internet. Broadband refers to different high-capacity transmission technologies that transmit data, voice, and video across long distances and at high speeds. Common transmission mediums include coaxial cables, fiber optic cables, and radio waves. The two defining features of broadband that make it stand out include its high speed and availability. There are six main types of Broadband Internet Connection.

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL):

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is a networking technology that provides broadband high-speed Internet connections over conventional telephone lines. Digital Subscriber Line is one of the most popular ways Internet Service Provider offers broadband internet access through a wired network. SDSL is generally marketed at business customers who have more to do with upstream.

Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line (SDSL): 

SDSL is a type of DSL where the speed of data sent is

known as upstream, and data received is known as downstream. In SDSL, bandwidth and bitrate are symmetric; this works for people with more to do with upstream content than down-streaming content.

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL):

ADSL is a type of DSL where the speed of data sent is known as upstream, and data received is known as downstream. ADSL is a data communication technology that allows faster transmission through copper wires. In ADSL, bandwidth and bit rate are asymmetric, which works for people with more downstream content than upstream content.

Cable Modem

A cable modem is a broadband Internet provider that allows your PC to intercommunicate with an Internet Service Provider ISP over a landline connection. It converts an analog signal to a digital signal to provide access to broadband internet. It is a network bridge that provides data signals via radio channels. Cable Modem returns the dial-up modems as they were faster and cheaper. Cable modems provided download and upload speeds of 1 to 3 Mbps, 20 to 60 times faster than the fastest dial-up modems in the beginning.

Fiber Optic

Fiber optic cable is a high-speed data transmission method. It consists of a small glass or plastic strips that carry light beams. Digital data is transmitted via cable with fast light pulses. The receiving end of fiber optic transmission converts light pulses into binary values, read electronically.

Because fiber optic cables transmit data through light waves, they can share information at light speeds. Not surprisingly, fiber optic cables offer any data transfer method’s fastest data transfer rate. And they are less susceptible to noise and disturbances than copper wires or telephone wires. However, fiber optic cables are weaker than their metal counterparts and require more protection. Although copper wires can be separated and repaired as many times as needed, broken fiber optic cables often need to be replaced.

Wireless Broadband

Wireless Broadband is a high-speed internet service that uses wireless technology. The advantage of this internet connection is that the computer receiving the signal does not need to be connected as a modem via an Ethernet cable or network to broadband or router. The modem receives the service and transmits it to a nearby location over the radio. Any computer connected to a wireless network within a given distance can pick up the signal, making the Internet “portable.

The most common way to use wireless broadband is to use a portable computer. The computer will need a wireless adapter, usually available in a mobile computer card (PC).

Satellite

Satellite Internet is an entirely wireless internet connection available almost everywhere globally. Although it is considerably slower than cable or fiber-optic connections, satellite internet access is faster than dialing with other DSL options.

However, satellite internet requires additional equipment, including a satellite dish that connects to a geostationary communication satellite in space.

The worst thing about satellite internet is that it is slow and has serious latency problems because the signal comes and goes to space for both sending and receiving data.

Conclusion

The evolution from the internet just being foe Defence purposes to being integrated in every human life is mind-blowing. The internet evolved through time, and technology increased in efficiency as well. The use of broadband and internet is not disappering anytime soon as billions of dollars are being poured in research every year. It can only make our lives better.