Broadband v. baseband ... again?

Thu Jul 5 17:23:51 UTC 2001

On Thu, 5 Jul 2001, Roeland Meyer wrote:

> Broadband isn't a speed, it's a signaling architecture. The alternative is
> baseband. Ethernet is baseband. Broadcast radio is broadband. Now that you
> have the two competing terms, please see your friendly neighborhood search
> engine (PSYFNSE).

Though, to be fair, a lot of people have coopted the term "broadband." You
and I know that broadband is defined in the 802 series of specs as a way
to run ethernet over an analog cable system. But... the cable companies
would have you believe that it means "the fastest thing going" and the
telcos would have you believe that DSL is "broadband."

Miles

**************************************************************************
The Center for Civic Networking 	    PO Box 600618
Miles R. Fidelman, President &		    Newtonville, MA 02460-0006
Director, Municipal Telecommunications 
Strategies Program			    617-558-3698 fax: 617-630-8946
mfidelman at civicnet.org	 		    http://civic.net/ccn.html

Information Infrastructure: Public Spaces for the 21st Century 
Let's Start With: Internet Wall-Plugs Everywhere 
Say It Often, Say It Loud: "I Want My Internet!" 
**************************************************************************