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Networks and the Internet: Question 5

Syllabus 2.1

Multiple choice AS 1 mark

A small company is comparing two possible network connections for its new office before signing a contract with an internet service provider.

Which statement correctly describes what is meant by the bandwidth of a network connection?

Choose an answer to check it, then compare with the worked solution below.
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Worked solution

Why B is correct

Bandwidth describes the maximum rate at which a network connection could theoretically carry data, usually measured in bits per second (commonly expressed as kbps, Mbps or Gbps). It is a measure of a connection’s capacity, how much data it is able to carry per second at best, not a measure of how much data has actually passed through it, how long the cabling is, or how many devices it happens to be serving.

A connection with a higher bandwidth is capable of carrying more data every second than one with a lower bandwidth, which is why comparing bandwidth figures is a useful way to compare different network connections before choosing one, exactly as the company in the scenario is doing.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A describes the amount of data already transferred (a measure of actual usage), not the connection’s maximum capacity. A connection’s bandwidth stays the same whether a lot of data has been sent over it or none at all.
  • C confuses bandwidth with a physical property of the cable itself; bandwidth is a rate of data transfer, not a distance.
  • D confuses bandwidth with the number of devices a connection can support; bandwidth measures how much data can be carried per second, not how many devices happen to share that capacity.

Final answer

B. Bandwidth is the maximum rate at which a network connection can theoretically transfer data, measured in bits per second.