This Article Printer-Friendly Version Consider more than bandwidth when choosing Internet access technology By Drew Robb Special to GCN Any agency building toward expanded online government will soon reach a fork in the road over its choice of Internet access technology. The one you select will depend on such things as your bandwidth requirements, budget and whether the necessary supporting infrastructure is available. Here's a look at what each one offers. This is the traditional telephone modem connection used to connect most computers to the Internet.
Maximum speed is determined by the type of modem attached to the line.
Most analog modems now are 56 Kbps, the highest speed possible on a normal dial-up line, although the actual transmission speeds usually are lower. Cable Cable modems on average have a bandwidth of 1.544 Mbps. Fiber-optic cable connects the transmission center to local coaxial cable lines. Fiber-optic cabling takes up little conduit space and offers high security with high bandwidth. Cable also provides always-on availability.