Broadband Glossary - C

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Broadband terms defined on this page:
For a full glossary list click here

• Cable
• Cable modem
• Cache
• Contention rate
• Cookie

A way of obtaining broadband internet via fibre optic cables.
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Cable modem

Hardware used to connect your computer to the internet over a cable broadband connection.
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Temporary memory, used in various ways, but on the internet it’s used to speed up your connection to sites you’ve already visited.
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Contention rate

Refers to the maximum number of people that will be sharing the bandwidth on one connection between the local exchange and provider. For ADSL connections this is usually 50:1, meaning that at peak times you’ll be sharing your bandwidth with 49 other people on your street.
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Cookie

Information on your user preferences or history, stored on your computer hard drive.
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