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Listed below in alphabetical order are some plain English explanations that may help.

Bribie Island Internet
Bribie Island's local Internet Service Provider (ISP). Established in 2001 and based on the island, it is the only real ISP based within 25 kms of Bribie Island.

Broadband
Fast, broadband Internet service delivered over the hybrid optical fibre/coaxial cable pay TV Network via a cable modem at the customer end or by satellite or by ADSL. A general term used to describe transmission at bandwidths higher than 1 Mbit/s (e.g. high-speed data and video services).

Browser
Desktop computer application offering an easy-to-use graphical interface for browsing and retrieving information over the Internet. Microsoft® Internet Explorer and Netscape® Navigator are the most widely used browsers.

Cable modem
A device used for high-speed connections between a PC and the Internet over the pay TV Network. Can deliver data at up to 100 times the speed of standard telephone modems.

Digital
A method of storing, processing and transmitting information through the use of distinct electronic or optical pulses that represent the binary digits (bits) '0' and '1'. Digital technologies employ discrete pulses to represent information, as opposed to the continuously variable signals of analog technologies.

DSL or xDSL
(Digital Subscriber Line)
A technology that enables the copper telephone Network to carry data-streams of up to 6 Mbit/s (e.g. video signals). The 'x' denotes that there is more than one DSL technology (e.g. ADSL and VDSL).

Filter
A filter typically separates signals of different bandwidths. ADSL uses a filter to separate the voice component of the signal on the copper cable into the home from the Internet communications signal. Hence, it is possible to use the one telephone line entering a home to carry normal voice telephone conversations and broadband inhternet without any interference between the two.

HFC
(Hybrid Fibre Coaxial cable)
A shared broadband access architecture using optical fibre between exchanges and hubs in suburban streets, and coaxial cables between the hubs and customers to carry Foxtel pay TV and BigPond™ Cable services.

Internet (or the Net)
A global inter-Network of computer Networks, connected via Internet Protocol (IP) and the world's telecommunications infrastructure. IP enables applications such as e-mail, the Web, file transfer and other services to run across different Networks and operating systems.

IP
(Internet Protocol)
Part of the TCP/IP family of communications protocols describing software that tracks Internet addresses, directs outgoing messages, and recognises incoming messages. Used in gateways to connect Networks at a high level.

ISP
(Internet Service Provider)
Company that connects individuals or organisations to the Internet. Can range in size from an individual operating dial-up access, to providers operating substantial Network backbones and fast cable modem access (e.g. our service).

Intranet
A Network connecting an affiliated set of client computers using standard Internet protocols such as TCP/IP and HTTP. Many Intranets now take the form of an IP-based Network of nodes behind a firewall, connected by a secure virtual private Network (VPN or IP-VPN). Intranets between cooperating companies can be called extranets.

Mbit/s or Gbit/s
(megabits or gigabits per second)
Units for measuring rate of digital information transfer - a megabit per second is a rate of one million bits per second; a gigabit, one thousand million bits. New optical fibre technologies can transfer information at the rate of one thousand gigabits, or one terabit, per second.

Multimedia
Combination of multiple forms of media in communication of information between users and machines. Communication formats include voice communications (speech recognition, speaker verification and text-to-speech), audio processing (music synthesis, CD-ROM), data communications and video.

Narrowband
Communication technologies with a data transmission capacity of under 1 Mbit/s. Includes online interactive services (e.g. Internet), voice, facsimile services, slow-scan video images and low-rate data transmission.

Optical fibre
A strand of hi-tech glass that carries signals in the form of laser light pulses. An optical fibre pair can carry many thousands of telephone conversations simultaneously, or a mix of video and voice. An optical fibre cable can contain hundreds of fibres.

Packet
In a packet-switched Network such as the Internet, data is packaged and routed in 'blocks' or packets, each having a header with the Network destination address. Packet-switched Networks are also described as 'connectionless', because the paths selected by routers can vary from moment to moment as each router is updated with current Network information.

PSTN
Public Switched Telephone Network
Generic term for public dial-up telephone Networks.

VDSL
Very-high rate Digital Subscriber Line

Web
(World-Wide Web)
A series of interlinked computer documents 'marked up' with HTML computer language to display text, graphics, images and sound. Users browse the documents via a graphical user interface. Web sites are like multimedia magazines, with interactive features and links to related sites.

Web portal
An individual's customised 'gateway' to the Internet. A portal is a Web page designed to allow different users to tailor and aggregate content according to individual preference. Web portals include global and special instant messaging, e-mail, and chat facilities to encourage the development of electronic communities.

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