Much has been said about the onset of broadband services and how they will change our lives. Let’s cut through the jargon to explain why it matters. Basically, the broadband revolution is about a huge increase in the range of services that can be offered via the Internet and digital television. It heralds a new age in entertainment and communications, as well as a major boost for e-commerce.

The benefits of broadband include: the opportunity to rent applications and out source IT; 24-hour Internet connection; Video on demand; Fast interactive digital television; Fast interactive home shopping; Video e-mail; Video conferencing; Fast downloading of games, music and software.

But what really is broadband? Essentially it is the name given to systems designed for high-speed transmission of huge amounts of electronic data. Think of a hosepipe carrying water. If you want to get more water down the pipe, and send it quicker, you need a broader pipe. In the case of electronic data, the same result can be attained using advanced cable technology, radio frequency transmissions or satellite systems. With cables, high-capacity optical fibre networks may be utilized (as in cable television). Or, in the case of existing phone networks, a technique called multiplexing allows more information to be carried by the traditional copper wires.

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) is technology for making broadband transmissions on the existing telephone networks. It can run up to 40 times faster than 56k modems, ADSL has been in operation in many parts of the US since 1998. BT has launched a nationwide UK service this year, and a small-scale service is already available in East Yorkshire through Kingston Communications. Telewest and NTL are also rolling out broadband services through their cable networks, and Internet service providers like Freeserve and AOL are launching their own ADSL services.

But why does broadband matter? Unmetered broadband Internet access potentially will change the way we use both the Internet and television. With the Internet, there will be no need to log on and off, download times will be lightning quick and fears over the cost of the call will be removed. This means a huge range of services offered on the net would be instantly available - films, music and games, along with local information such as traffic and weather reports.

Normal phone calls would also be made without having to disconnect Internet access, and video e-mail and video conferencing would become really cheap and easy. The revolution in entertainment this would bring would be closely related to a new age in television use. For example, downloaded films would not have to be seen on a PC and the viewer would be able to pause and rewind in the same way as with a videocassette recorder.

Also, interactive television services, such as home shopping, would become fast and sophisticated, and some retail analysts have predicted that online retailing via TVs - or "T-commerce" - could rapidly surpass PC-based shopping.