Broadband Technology
Rapid changes in technology and the growing convergence of broadcast, telecommunications and IT herald the arrival of a new information age that would have a big impact on our lives. In as early as 1995, in response to the government's vision to transform Singapore into an intelligent island, StarHub rose to the challenge to invest in an advanced nationwide broadband infrastructure that would enable Singaporeans to stay in the forefront of technology. An infrastructure capable of delivering a full range of video, data and voice services to consumers and businesses.
Today, with the completion of the network at a cost of S$500 million, StarHub's broadband infrastructure is truly a world-class network that would propel Singaporeans into the forefront in the race towards a broadband world.
What is broadband technology?
The term "broadband" describes a two-way digital service that can move data at speeds of up to 100Mbps+ compared to conventional phone lines. (transmits at least 100Mbps+ in at least one direction). By contrast, an ordinary dial-up modem which currently handles 28.8 or 56Kbps is considered a narrowband device. While narrowband is generally adequate for downloading still images and text, data-rich applications such as video-on-demand require broadband connections.
StarHub's broadband network is based on a design known as the hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC): optical fibre links the system headend to network nodes which serves between 500 to 2000 customers, and coaxial cables connecting individual homes to each node. Inside the home, cable signals can be split between various TV or PC-based devices like a cable TV set-top box and a cable modem. The HFC architecture automatically results in a network that offers greater channel capacity, improved signal reliability and far-superior two-way transmission capabilities.
+ With 100Mbps-ready cable modem. Actual bandwith is dependent on hardware, software, internet traffic and destination server.