Glossary A–ZLetter B
Bandwidth
In networking, bandwidth is the amount of data a connection can carry per second, usually stated in megabits per second (Mbit/s).
It is not the same as data volume, which counts how much has been transferred in total. For internet connections, download and upload are usually stated separately.
Bandwidth determines how quickly new content reaches the players. A 300 megabyte video takes about four minutes at 10 Mbit/s, because one byte has eight bits. If several screens at one site share a line, they download at the same time and slow each other down, as do tills, office and guest wireless network. Live content such as streams or embedded web pages needs bandwidth all the time, whereas pre-downloaded files need it only once.
The bandwidth stated in the contract is a maximum; less is often actually available, especially over mobile networks and wireless LAN. Operators should also plan when downloads happen: large files can be transferred at night. If a pre-downloaded video stutters, the cause is usually the file or the player rather than the bandwidth, because playback then runs from local storage.