Expert: Cezar L. Palconet - 7/2/2010

Question
Hey, I'm sorry but this question may sound dull.

I'm just curious as to what exactly "bandwidth" is. I hear it mentioned a lot among people who are knowledgable with computers, and I'm just curious what it's all about.

Answer
Hi Kellen

In Radio Frequency (RF), bandwidth is referred to as the amount of spectrum (lower-upper limits) allocated for use.
commonly this reffrers to a particular channel in a channeling plan. A channeling plan is the manner in which a particular slice of spectrum (larger frequency band) is channelized, in order to make maximum use of the band by several users .
In digital communications using RF as the carrier, the amount of necessary bandwidth and modulation type determines how much maximum nitrates can be accommodated in a particular transmission.
In RF there are two important and distinct use,  that uses the word bandwidth;

Occupied bandwidth; this refers to the amount of spectrum occupied by the user, which denies other users to use it in close proximity, where close proximity means, the amount of acceptable interference a receiving station may tolerate from an interferer.

Necessary bandwidth; this is the amount of bandwidth necessary to transfer the information effectively and efficiently.

In computing, bandwidth refers to the amount of data transferred or bit rate, this is expressed in bits per second, kilobits per second or megabits per second.
less ambiguous terms such as bit rate, channel capacity and throughput are used rather than bandwidth, in order to avoid this confusion.


regards.