What is “multicast” and “unicast”?
“Unicast” and “multicast” refers to the protocol of streaming content transmission. For any given network, unicast delivers a stream from point to point. There is bandwidth requirement for each point-to-point connection (i.e. unicast session) so that if 10 users are watching a 100kbps stream, the total bandwidth requirement on the network’s backbone is 10x100kbps = 1Mbps. In contrast, multicast delivers a stream from point to multipoint. Regardless of the number connections, the bandwidth requirement is the same for any number of viewers. If there are 10 users watching a 100kbps stream, the total bandwidth requirement on the network’s backbone is still 100kbps. Multicast is a much more efficient method for distribution of streaming content.
