In a cable network, what is downstream?

In a cable network, what is downstream?

• A. The direction from the provider to the customer.
• B. The direction from the customer to the provider.
• C. The internal data path within the provider's data center.
• D. A subset of upstream traffic.

Answer: (A)

Downstream is the data flow from the service provider toward the customer. In a cable system, these are the channels and signals that carry content, Internet data, and control information from the headend or CMTS to the customer's cable modem. This is what you receive when you stream video, browse the web, or download data. Upstream is the opposite direction, from the customer back to the provider. The internal data path inside the provider’s data center isn’t what downstream refers to, and downstream isn’t a subset of upstream—it’s the other direction with its own dedicated bandwidth and channels.

Downstream is the data flow from the service provider toward the customer. In a cable system, these are the channels and signals that carry content, Internet data, and control information from the headend or CMTS to the customer's cable modem. This is what you receive when you stream video, browse the web, or download data. Upstream is the opposite direction, from the customer back to the provider. The internal data path inside the provider’s data center isn’t what downstream refers to, and downstream isn’t a subset of upstream—it’s the other direction with its own dedicated bandwidth and channels.