Narrowband refers to a slow internet connection, typically associated with dial-up. It has been surpassed by broadband in popularity and speed, but is still used in some developing countries. Some users prefer narrowband due to cost or satisfaction with the service. The term can also refer to connections with speeds up to 1,544 Mbps.
Narrowband is a term used to describe an Internet connection speed most commonly associated with a dial-up connection. Using telephone lines and transmitting on voice-grade frequencies, the maximum throughput a connection can provide is approximately 56k, or 56,000 bits per second.
While many Internet users today can recall much slower speeds in the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s, the maximum speeds achieved through a narrowband connection pale in comparison to those available today. Even the slowest broadband speeds are typically five times faster.
In some locations around the world, especially in developing countries, narrowband is still the standard. However, many Western European nations are ahead of the United States in terms of the percentage of Internet users who connect using broadband.
In the United States, narrowband was the undisputed most popular choice for Internet connections until 2006. That year, JD Power and Associates reported that broadband had finally taken the lead in terms of access. The gap has grown in the years since, despite the fact that dial-up connections are significantly cheaper than broadband.
Interestingly, a number of narrowband users are quite satisfied with their service and may even prefer it over broadband. The Associated Press reported in July 2008 that only a small percentage of those with slower connections say they use it because they don’t have access to broadband. Others simply don’t know why they choose that type of connection or are not happy with the cost of broadband. Narrowband is usually only half the cost of broadband, depending on the speed of your broadband connection.
While it is common to associate only dial-up Internet access with the term narrowband, it is generally believed that any connection with a transmission speed of 1,544 Megabits per second can be included in this category. This is much faster than a typical dialup connection.
In some cases, even a slower cable connection might be considered narrowband speed. However, this contradicts the traditional definition, which is defined as the frequencies that carry voice communication.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
