Whilst you may never need to know your yottabits from your zettabytes, even the most seasoned online expert may find themselves searching, ‘Is a megabyte bigger than a kilobyte’ or ‘What on earth is internet latency’.
Our Glossary of Broadband Terms is a tool that promotes digital literacy by explaining key concepts.
Broadband A-Z
ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line): A broadband technology that enables faster data transmission over ordinary copper cables.
Asymmetrical Broadband: An internet connection that’s faster in one direction e.g. faster download speeds than upload speeds.
Bandwidth: The maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over a network or internet connection in a given period of time, usually measured in bits per second (bps) or megabits per second (Mbps).
Bits: The smallest unit of data used to measure data speed and capacity.
Bytes: A byte consists of 8 bits and is a basic unit for measuring data size or file storage.
Coaxial cable: A type of wiring used in a cable to provide high-speed internet access to homes and businesses. It’s used for the final section of the journey as a cheaper alternative to fibre.
Capping: Capping limits the amount of data a user can transfer over their internet connection within a specific time period. Once the data cap is reached a user might experience reduced speeds or additional charges.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line): A technology that uses existing telephone lines to provide high-speed internet access.
Download Speed: Download speed determines how quickly you can receive files, stream media, or access online content.
Data: Any form of digital information that is transmitted over the internet.
Ethernet: A widely used broadband technology for LAN connections which involves using a cable to establish high-speed data connection between devices.
Fibre Optic: A high-speed internet technology that uses thin strands of glass or plastic fibres to transmit data using light signals.
FTTC/FTTP: Fibre To The Cabinet (FTTC) uses fibre optic cables to provide last-mile connectivity from a street cabinet to the user’s premises. Fibre To The Premises (FTTP) uses fibre optic cables all the way into the property.
Gigabit: Equal to 1,000 megabits or 1 billion bits. It’s a measure of data transfer speed.
Hotspot: A location where Wi-Fi or other internet access is provided, often through a wireless router.
Internet: A global network of interconnected computers and devices that communicate using standardised protocols.
ISP (Internet Service Provider): A company that provides internet access to individuals, businesses, and organisations.
IP Address: A unique label assigned to each device connected to a computer network.
Jitter: Refers to the variation in delay of data packets as they are transmitted over a network.
Kilobyte: Equal to 1024 bytes and is often used to measure the size of files, downloads or data transfers.
Latency: The delay or time lag between sending a request and receiving a response over a network.
Lan (Local Area Network): Refers to a network of connected devices within a limited geographical area, such as a home, office or university campus for example.
Lag: The delay between sending a packet of data from one device and its arrival at another, often leading to disruptions in real-time online activities.
Mbps (Megabits Per Second): A unit of measurement for internet speed, representing millions of bits transmitted per second.
Megabyte: A megabyte is equal to 1024 kilobytes and is often used to quantify the size of files, downloads or data transfers.
Modem: A device that converts digital data from a computer into analogue signals for transmission over phone lines and converts received analogue signals back into digital data.
Network: The interconnected system of devices, computers and infrastructure that enables communication and data exchange.
Openreach: Openreach Limited runs the UK’s digital network. This includes managing the copper phone line network and rolling out full fibre broadband.
Ping: A network utility used to test the reachability of a host on an IP network and measure the round-trip time for data to travel between the sender and receiver.
Packet: A unit of data that’s transmitted over a network. It contains the information needed to route and deliver the data to its destination.
Quickline: This is a broadband provider building a network especially for hard-to-reach and rural communities in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Router: A device that directs data traffic between devices on a local network and manages communication between the local network and the broader internet.
Satellite Internet: Internet access is provided through satellite signals, often used in rural or remote areas where traditional broadband options are limited.
Streaming: The real-time transmission of audio or video content over the internet for immediate consumption without the need to download the entire file.
Traffic: The data being transferred over a network. It encompasses all the digital information moving across the network.
Upload Speed: The speed at which data is sent from your device to the internet.
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol): Technology that allows voice communication and multimedia sessions over the internet, often used for making phone calls.
Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity): A wireless networking technology that allows devices to connect to the internet without using physical cables.
XDSL: A family of DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) technologies that includes variations like ADSL (Asymmetric DSL) and VDSL (Very High Bitrate DSL), each with different upload and download speeds.
Yottabit: Equal to 1 septillion bits or 1,024 zettabits. This is an extremely large unit of data measurement.
Zettabyte: Equal to 1 trillion gigabytes or 1 sextillion bytes. This is a measure of data storage capacity.
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