Objectives of knowledge management

ISP connection methods
Figure 3.4 shows the way in which companies or home users connect to the Internet. The 
diagram is greatly simplified in that there are several tiers of ISPs. A user may connect to 
one ISP which will then transfer the request to another ISP which is connected to the main 
Internet backbone.
High- speed broadband is now the dominant home access method rather than the previ-
ously popular 
dial-up connection
.
However, companies should remember that there are significant numbers of Internet 
users who have the slower dial-up access. Ofcom (2010) reported that the proportion of 
individuals with access to broadband services in the UK is 71% (fixed broadband 65% and 
mobile broadband 15%).
Broadband
commonly uses a technology known as ADSL or asymmetric digital sub-
scriber line, which means that the traditional phone line can be used for digital data trans-
fer. It is asymmetric since download speeds are typically higher than upload speeds. Small 
and medium businesses can also benefit from faster continuous access than was previously 
possible.
The higher speeds available through broadband together with a continuous always-on 
connection have already transformed use of the Internet. Information access is more rapid 
and it becomes more practical to access richer content such as digital video.