What Should I Expect From Wireless Broadband Service

A wireless broadband service delivers Internet access to homes and businesses over the airwaves. Signals from a physical operation center are transmitted through towers that allow access from homes within range of the broadcast. These services make it possible to have Internet access in areas where there is no existing reliable cable or fiber optic infrastructure available. Subscribers to the service use a special wireless modem or antenna in order to capture the signal. Anyone who is considering this type of service should expect a few things from the provider.

A wireless broadband service should be chosen based on the expected speed of the connection. Some services do not provide speeds that would be traditionally considered as broadband. The maximum speeds that are provided generally depend on the hardware infrastructure the service is using. Some connections will achieve speeds just above 1.5 megabits per second. Services that are using tier three (T3) lines could offer speeds in excess of 100 megabits per second. Environmental factors and transmission power could cause this number to fluctuate over the course of the day.

It is important to use a wireless service that implements good security. The signals that are broadcast over an area can be received by hackers or other malicious individuals. This could allow someone to intercept data packets and track online activities. Most providers use some form of authentication in order to encrypt or protect packets so that transactions are private. This could be a simple password login or a hardware-based solution inside of the wireless router. Businesses that rely on a wireless service often use other security measures such as a virtual private network (VPN). Nearly all wireless services take steps to ensure that it is not possible to intercept signals or decrypt data packets.

Reliability is something that needs to be considered when choosing a wireless Internet service. Several factors that cannot be changed could affect the reliability of a service. The distance from the home to the nearest broadcast tower will make a difference. Most towers have a transmission range of 30 to 50 miles. Homes outside of this range could receive inconsistent signals that make browsing or watching movies online difficult. Reliability can be increased if the service provides an antenna for the outside of the home that amplifies the signal.

One of the realities of wireless broadband service is that bandwidth is often limited or metered. This is done in order to prevent a single person from using all of the available bandwidth in a single area. Some services will limit speeds based on the number of people using a tower or the number of megabytes that have been downloaded. Other services meter usage and charge users based on how much data is transferred. The policies and limitations related to bandwidth should be fully understood before choosing a service.

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