broadband

American  

[brawd-band] / ˈbrɔdˌbænd /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or responsive to a continuous, wide range of frequencies.

2. relating to or denoting a type of high-speed data transmission in which the bandwidth is shared by more than one simultaneous signal.

   Broadband internet technologies are superior to dial-up connections for streaming video.

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noun

1. broadband transmission.

2. a broadband internet connection.

broadband British  

/ ˈbrɔːdˌbænd /

noun

1. a transmission technique using a wide range of frequencies that enables messages to be sent simultaneously, used in fast internet connections See also baseband

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broadband Cultural  

1. In communications technology, the ability to send many signals over a single cable or other such communication medium. Broadband technology allows enormous amounts of data, such as that for movie videos, to be transferred over limited information infrastructure.

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Etymology

Origin of broadband

First recorded in 1900–05; broad + band ²

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

That led to the development of broadband, changing how Americans consume media and the internet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

SpaceX has launched more than 11,000 satellites into low-Earth-orbit, and the company’s space-based broadband business, Starlink, has amassed more than 10 million customers.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Amazon, where Bezos serves as executive chairman after handing off the CEO reins to Andy Jassy in 2021, is in the early innings of developing a more than 7,000-satellite network for broadband.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

He also added that progress toward commercializing Amazon Leo would be a positive step “toward realizing the long-term opportunity around satellite broadband connectivity across a range of devices and formats.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

Where the local broadband did get installed was in office buildings, which were already pretty well served by the old companies.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman