In the past few years, we've seen Internet technology advance at an astonishing rate. Just a few short years ago, we'd have to wait an age to download a single MP3. With the introduction of high-speed broadband we can now get the same file in just a couple of minutes - sometimes even less!

But just what is broadband? You've heard the term, but do you really understand what it is? How does it work? What do all these technical terms mean? What does the future hold? We'll take a look at these questions in this brief broadband guide.

It isn't necessary to understand the technical ins-and-outs of broadband, but here's a basic explanation. Your Internet connection is made through standard telephone wires - basically, a set of two copper wires connecting your phone to your local exchange. When you make a simple phone call, the data is transmitted within a frequency of 0-3,400 Hertz, as is data transmitted over a 'dial-up' Internet connection. The telephone wires, however, have the capacity to carry data over a much wider range of frequencies. Broadband takes advantage of that wider range, and so can transmit and receive much more data at any one time. Put simply, it transmits over a 'broader' band of frequencies, hence the term 'broadband'.

Computer folks love their jargon. Here's a quick guide to a few common broadband terms.

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is simply a technology that allows for high-speed data transmission over telephone wires. Using DSL, it is possible to split voice and data transmissions over the same wire, allowing you to talk on the phone while you're connected to the Internet - something that isn't possible using dial-up. ADSL (Asymmetric DSL) is the standard technology used for home broadband connections.

A cable modem is simply a modem used to connect to a broadband service using the same infrastructure used for cable TV. Similar to DSL, cable modems simply send and receive data using a frequency band unused by the TV signal, which means that you can watch cable TV while surfing the Internet.

ISP stands for Internet Service Provider. An ISP is an organization that offers users access to the Internet. In the past ISPs were run by phone companies, but today they can be set up by anyone. Upstart broadband ISPs pay the phone company for access to the phone lines, and then sell on that access to the end user (you and I).

In the past few years, it has become popular for public places - coffee shops, office buildings, and so on - to provide wireless (Wi-Fi) broadband connections for their customers and staff. Increasingly, wireless access is being taken up by home users. Connecting through using a wireless router, several PCs or laptops could connect to the service, throughout the home without the need for wires.

Since the current standard ADSL has pretty much hit its speed limit of around 8Mbps, developers are working hard to design new technology to beat this limit. The main contenders at the moment seem to be ADSL2 and ADSL2+, the second-generation technologies of broadband. ADSL2 will offer download speeds of up to 12Mbps, while ADSL2+ will be capable of double this - with the possibility of combining multiple wires to double, triple or quadruple the speed.

With these new technologies being rolled out over the next few years we shouldn't have to worry about running out of speed any time soon.