What is Cable Internet?
Cable internet is similar to digital subscriber lines and fiber optic networks in that it bridges the last kilometre or mile from the internet provider to the subscriber premises. It is layered on top of the existing network infrastructure used for cable television similar to how DSL uses the existing telephone network. Cable networks remain, along with the telephone network, one of the two predominant means of residential internet access. Recently, both have seen increased competition from dedicated fibre deployments and wireless and mobile networks.
Bit rates can be as much 50 megabits per second for business connections, but consumers are generally offered between two and ten megabits, depending on country. Upstream (from the user) rates range from 384 kilobits per second to more than 20Mbps.Broadband cable internet access requires a cable modem (CM) at the customer premises and a CMTS (Cable Modem Termination System) at a cable operator facility (typically a headend or hub location). The two are connected via coaxial cable.