The waiting is over, at least for Internet users tired of herky-jerky Web video, all-night downloads, and pay-by-the-minute dialup access. Broadband has arrived in Japan, and in cities like Tokyo and Osaka we probably enjoy the best, least expensive high-speed Internet access in the world.
The term broadband refers to high-bandwidth connection systems capable of transmitting data at very high rates. The Federal Communication Commission in the United States uses the term to describe any system that transmits data at 200 Kbps or higher, but for our purposes, we can just think of broadband as meaning fast, no-waiting Internet access.
Broadband includes various transmission media, including copper telephone wire, fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable (for cable television), and air (in wireless applications), all of which use TCP/IP for networking and Ethernet (or USB) for the final connection (via a cable modem or router) to your computer.