broadband

/ˌbrɔdˈbænd/

/ˈbɔdbænd/

Broadband describes a system of sending a lot of data or information very quickly, particularly a speedy internet connection. Most people with broadband internet are able to stream movies instantly.

Most Americans have broadband internet access today, a statistic that's changed dramatically over the past 25 years. Before broadband came to be nearly synonymous with the internet, it was used for other telecommunications, like radio transmissions and phone networks. The term refers to a large capacity for sending data — in other words, a broad bandwidth. That means it moves with exceptional speed, and that multiple channels of information can be sent at the same time.

Definitions of broadband

1. noun

   a system of high-speed communication, especially over the internet, that transmits multiple signals at the same time
2. adjective

   responding to or operating at a wide range of frequencies
   “a broadband antenna”

   synonyms: wideband
3. adjective

   of or relating to or being a communications network in which the bandwidth can be divided and shared by multiple simultaneous signals (as for voice or data or video)