I understand whatthey are.
But in the same breath..I don't.
Lets take The High Street, Anytown, Anyplace. AA11 2BB
Mr Smith lives at no 1 and Mr Jones at no 3,
They both sign up to BT's service. Contention ratio of..lets say...50:1
Then the family at 5, and 7 and 9 all sign up.
Where is the contention ratio recorded from? The digital exhange in the town centre? The box at the end of the road?
If the entire street ALL sign up to 512, and there are more of them than 50, does BT "create" A NEW THINGY? What IS the thingy?
I move into No 2. I sign up with Zen.
Nick moves into No 4 and signs up with Nildram/Pipex.
No one elsefor MILES around sign u with Zen or Nildram.
Do we both getthe ultimate bandwidth available on our contracts? Do we tellthe neighbours to NOPT use Zen or Nildram so we KEEP the good speeds
Is the contention ratio set somewhere in the "internet"
Do entire villages share the same contention ratio? What is it based around? A server somewhere 30 miles (of cable) away.
Or the end of the street?
Or at the ISP?
I know thats bady worded. I have tried my best. But it has bothered me for ages.