[This is preliminary documentation and subject to change.]
Internet channel broadcasting is an architecture that enables World Wide Web sites to be collected, packaged, and then broadcast to multiple subscribers simultaneously.
Currently, the Web operates on a one-to-one basis. Each user who wants to view a site must create a separate connection to that site. If too many users try to access a site at the same time, the server is unable to handle all of the requests. In contrast, Internet channel broadcasting operates on a one-to-many basis. Web sites are broadcast to many users at once and stored in each user's cache until the user is ready to view them.
The Microsoft® Internet Channel Client is a component of the Microsoft® Windows® 98 operating system. This client receives broadcast updates of Web sites that the user has subscribed to and stores the updated files in the Web browser cache. The client extends the Microsoft® Internet Explorer subscription model to a one-to-many broadcast architecture.