The development of the electronics industry is unparalleled. As science continues its march into the future, the human condition is advanced with the exploration and mastering of spaces heretofore considered the great beyond. The electromagnetic spectrum is such a space. As we reach higher and higher in the spectrum, to frequencies once considered beyond technology, the amounts of available bandwidth continues to expand. In less than two centuries we have advanced far beyond the initial discoveries and methods that appeared so shocking then only to be quickly left behind for higher technologies.

The ability to create channels of information and exchange them with other over wires or wirelessly continues to be not only a focal point for science and engineering but also a mainstay for governments and agencies attempting to spread their messages worldwide. As channels of information are packaged together for shipment within these systems, the meaning of "broadband" becomes more relevant. Simply, broadband means a wide band of electromagnetic frequencies. Practically, broadband transmissions usually are composed of multiple channels. These channels may be analog, digital, composite, component, or any combination thereof. A household example is the cable connection, bringing multiple television channels to your home over a single coaxial cable. This cable may also be delivering a high speed internet connection through which you are viewing this very page. The twisted pair of copper wires from your local telephone company that also may be connected to your home, normally considered a baseband connections when used just for POTS (plain old telephone service) becomes a broadband connection if you are also using it for DSL or IPVideo. You can't judge the nature of a transmission by the type of cable alone.

To really understand the potential of broadband communications it helps to have at least a basic knowledge of bandwidth, frequency, analog and digital signals, component and composite waveforms, and baseband.