It's tough for builders to sell homebuyers on the need for maximum bandwidths when the homebuyer doesn't understand what fiber optics are. Then again, many builders don't feel comfortable throwing around these high-tech terms either. The results are often homes that aren't futurecompatible and builders that don't sell technology upgrades.

Verizon recently released a brochure aimed at educating builders on how to sell fiber. Included is a glossary of terms that should educate builders on how to explain these technologies to clients.

Bandwidth: The capacity of data, video or voice connection. Higher bandwidth translates to greater capacity and higher download and data transfer speeds.

Broadband: A transmission type in which a single "line" can accommodate several signals; also a generic term widely used to describe any Internet connection faster than dial-up.

Cable Internet Service: Internet service delivered to the home via the same coaxial cable that delivers cable television.

Coaxial Cable: Also know as coax; copper cable used by cable television providers to deliver television and Internet service; also commonly used to create computer networks.

Connectivity: A common buzzword when talking about technology, it refers to the ability of a device or program to access information from another device or program.

DSL Service: Literally means "digital subscriber line" service; DSL makes sophisticated use of copper phone wires to transmit data a high speeds

Fiber-Optic Broadband: State-of-the-art high-speed transmission of data, video and voice facilitated by the nearly unlimited bandwidth of fiber-optic cable

Fiber-Optic Line: Also known as "fiber," an insulated bundle of glass or plastic fibers used to transmit data as light waves at extremely high speeds and with low interference.

FiOS: Verizon's fiber-optic broadband Internet service, which provides fast home connectivity.

FiOS TV: Verizon's entertainment service, delivering highdefinition television and movies to homes via Verizon fiberoptic broadband.

Wi-Fi: Short for "wireless fidelity," a Wi-Fi or wireless network generally refers to localized data transmission through the air between a wireless router and one or more wireless devices.

Wireless Router: A device that converts incoming signals traveling via copper lines or fiber-optic cable into Wi-Fi transmissions and vice versa.