by Shaine Mata

Created on: November 04, 2008   Last Updated: November 11, 2008

One of the greatest technological advancements is broadband. Although there are some risks associated with broadband, the benefits are graeter. From on-line security to social media; whether you have DSL, cable modem, satellite Internet, or another form of broadband, you'll find that broadband makes life better.

If you do not subscribe to broadband, you may be concerned about security. Compared to dial-up, broadband is no more or less secure than dial-up. So long as you maintain safe on-line practices, you'll be safe no matter what speed your Internet connection is. The only difference is that broadband has an "always on" nature. You can remedy this by turning off your computer when not in use.

If you do decide to go with Broadband, you should probably consider a few things. First, you should consider price. There are several options for high-speed internet ranging from DSL, cable modem, satellite, and point-to-point wireless. Given the competition out there, price will almost always be a determining factor in your decision. The only variation is if you live in an area with few choices. You may have to settle for the only service in town.

Most people can comfortably work with the lowest broadband package. This level of speed is close to T1 speed; which is the standard by which most broadband is measured. You'll often have 1 Mbps download speed, and half of that for uploading. Uploading is the speed at which you can send files. Most people download more than they upload. This speed allows you to view TV quality video. At higher speeds, you'll find yourself intoxicated with the ease with which you can download videos and music. It is better if you start with the lower package; or else you'll be VERY reluctant to reduce your plan. The first tier is usually affordable, with each additional tier jumping up in price quickly.

Just to give you an idea of how your bandwidth affects your enjoyment of the Internet, let us take a typical song. A 3 minute song will take about 1 minute to download. With video, you can expect to play about 10 MB per minute. On a lower package, you can expect a 100 MB video to take around 5 minutes to download. Mind you, on dial-up this could take days. Music typically is around 6 to 10 MB. Video is anywhere from 100 MB to the size of a DVD, which is 5 GB, which could take a few hours to download. If you are in the habit of downloading videos, you may consider bumping up your plan.

What about Social Media like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and the

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