Definition of Broadband Service ?
At present, there is no internationally agreed definition of "broadband". In general, broadband service most commonly refers to a high-speed data transmission service with speed ranging from hundreds of kbps (kilobits per second) to 100 Mbps (Megabits per second). Some Internet service providers (ISPs) claim to provide services of a speed as high as 1000 Mbps.
The bandwidth or transmission speed advertised by an ISP normally refers to the maximum downstream/upstream speed of the customer access circuit between the customer's personal computer and the nearest data exchange centre of the ISP (that is the section marked with  in the diagram below). The actual downstream/upstream speed may be different from the advertised speed, especially when the server of the targeted web site is located overseas.
There are a number of factors which may affect the downstream/upstream speed:
| 1. |
The configuration of your personal computer, including the speed of the Central Processing Unit and the capacity of the RAM |
| 2. |
The model of the browsing software and the configuration of the firewall. |
| 3. |
The physical location and capability of the remote server of the targeted web site and the capacity of the circuit connecting the server to the exchange. |
| 4. |
The number of users simultaneously accessing the web site. |
When selecting a broadband service provider, you should consider your specific needs, service reliability and quality of customer service in addition to bandwidth and service charge. Before committing to a service contract, you should seek advice from your friends or relatives who are using the service. To allow flexibility in switching to other broadband service providers in the future, it is not advisable to commit to a very long-term contract simply because of a special offer. Moreover, it is important to read and understand the terms and conditions of the service.
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