Resumen
This article discusses the affordability of high-speed Internet access technology with consumer-oriented approach for the home. The most widely used technique for Internet access is still an analog modem running at V.34 speeds of 28.8Kbps or 33.6Kbps. However, there are emerging technologies becoming widely available to consumers at relatively low cost. Some of these techniques leverage the existing telephone lines found in almost everyone's house; others require a significant investment in new infrastructure. The widespread deployment of 56Kbps modems has given users Internet connection speeds comparable to the 64Kbps offered by single-band Integrated Services Digital Network. These modems operate in an asymmetrical fashion; the download speeds can, theoretically, reach 56Kbps, but the upload speeds are limited to 33.6Kbps. Asymmetric bandwidth is common for consumer-oriented, high-speed Internet access technologies. This is due primarily to the limitations of the so-called "last mile" of the network-from the external infrastructure to inside the home.