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Broadband & Access Network Technologies Flashcards

7 cards from real CTA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. What is the purpose of a DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) in a broadband network?

    Answer: To aggregate multiple DSL subscriber lines at the central office or remote cabinet

    A DSLAM aggregates many individual DSL subscriber connections at the central office or street cabinet and connects them to the ISP's backbone network, acting as the concentration point for last-mile access.

  2. In broadband network planning, what does 'contention ratio' describe?

    Answer: The number of subscribers sharing a fixed amount of available bandwidth

    Contention ratio describes how many subscribers share the same backhaul bandwidth; a ratio of 50:1 means 50 users share bandwidth designed for one, which affects real-world speeds during peak usage.

  3. What is G.fast technology as defined by ITU-T G.9700/G.9701?

    Answer: A DSL technology using up to 212 MHz bandwidth over very short copper loops for speeds up to 1 Gbps

    G.fast is an ITU-T standard (G.9700/G.9701) that uses frequencies up to 212 MHz over copper loops shorter than 250 meters, achieving downstream speeds up to 1 Gbps in FTTC/FTTdp deployments.

  4. Which broadband technology uses millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum above 24 GHz to deliver multi-gigabit fixed wireless access?

    Answer: mmWave 5G Fixed Wireless Access (5G FWA)

    5G Fixed Wireless Access using mmWave frequencies (24 GHz and above) can deliver multi-gigabit speeds to homes and businesses, serving as a fiber alternative in dense urban areas.

  5. In an HFC cable network, what does the term 'return path' or 'upstream path' refer to?

    Answer: The frequency band used for subscriber upstream traffic from the home to the headend

    The return path (or upstream path) in HFC networks refers to the lower frequency band (traditionally 5–42 MHz, extended in DOCSIS 3.1 to 204 MHz) used for traffic flowing from subscriber premises back to the cable headend.

  6. What is the primary advantage of symmetric broadband (equal upstream and downstream speeds) for enterprise customers?

    Answer: Optimal support for cloud applications, VoIP, video conferencing, and off-site backups

    Symmetric broadband equally supports data-intensive upstream tasks like cloud backups, hosted VoIP, and multi-party video conferencing, which are critical for enterprise productivity and cannot tolerate asymmetric bottlenecks.

  7. What is Broadband over Power Line (BPL) technology?

    Answer: A technology that delivers broadband internet access over existing electrical power distribution lines

    BPL (Broadband over Power Line) uses existing electrical power distribution infrastructure to carry broadband data signals, allowing internet access delivery over the same lines that carry electricity to homes and businesses.