Who needs Super-fast Fibre Internet ?

Broadband has become more and more essential to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use every day that depend on broadband connectivity seems to increase. The quantity of tablets, smartphones, laptops, desktops, games consoles and TV’s that each person has in their homes, seems to increase on a daily basis.

Pothole Broadband Deals For April 2026

Connection Type	Availablity
FTTC / Fibre / Superfast Broadband	Yes
Cable / Virgin Media	Some Areas
ADSL / Broadband	Yes
4G	Yes

Working from home is commonplace as it saves people sitting in commuter traffic, something that we all need to avoid.

 

 

Quite simply, traditional broadband connections often struggle to handle the simultaneous demands of downloading large files, streaming videos or music, with multiple devices and appliances signed on simultaneously. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or small company has the opportunity to do what they want online– all at the same time– without any annoying delays.

What is super-fast broadband?

Super-fast broadband relates to broadband connections of approximately 300Mbps in the UK.

Super-fast broadband connections enable users to go online , stream music & video and stream television at speeds that are massively more than most broadband users.

While the current average UK internet connection is around 12Mbps (2014), super-fast broadband products deliver speeds of approximately 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic broadband networks especially Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.

How does super-fast broadband work ?

Unlike many of UK broadband connections, which use telephony lines, the UK’s fastest internet product – the 100Mbps service from Virgin (it’s 200Mbps in some areas) – is delivered by a cable, or fibre-optic, broadband network. These cables are made of glass and plastic, which allows data to move much quicker than along the copper cables used by standard xDSL connectivity .

BT also offers an as high as 76Mb fibre-optic service called BT Infinity (you can get 300Mbps in some areas), and plans to make this available to millions more UK residence in in the near future .

 

 

The likes of TalkTalk, Sky and EE have used BT’s Infinity service to launch rebranded high speed cable broadband products of their own.

However, fast broadband is not only on offer to people in a fibre-optic broadband locations. Fast broadband is not exclusively on offer to people in a fibre-optic broadband area. If you live within a certain range of your broadband provider’s exchange you can still get fast broadband by signing up for selected ADSL2+ internet packages from the likes of O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.

ADSL2+

This kind of connectivity uses the same wiring and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL internet connections, but as a result of the software and technology being used it can deliver speeds of around 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “to 16Mb”.

Your speed depends, as always, on the quality of the cabling and the distance you are from the exchange, but if you live a city or built up location you can realistically expect speeds of around 16Mb or more. This still provides sufficient bandwidth for heavy internet users, and at a smaller cost than cable.

Which super-fast internet product is the best?

Among the UK’s quickest internet products is Virgin Media’s 152Mbps service. Virgin Media, which also offers 50Mbps broadband products as a bare minimum, is able to deliver such fast connections with the help of its super-fast fibre-optic connectivity network.

BT’s Infinity package offers a maximum speed of 76Mbps and the aforementioned services from Sky, EE and TalkTalk, which use BT’s fibre optic network and feature headline speeds according to BT.

 

 

Alternatively, broadband products offering an up to 16Mbps (or thereabouts) connection are available from most providers. The arrival of these speeds has been facilitated by an upgrade of BT’s network with ADSL2+ technology, enabling the existing cabling to carry more data.

How do I get fibre optic connectivity?

Your initial step is to decide which highspeed broadband services are available at your exhaage. Check which service are available.

 

Benefits of high bandwidth internet

Fast internet connectivity enables you to use all the video on demand available on the web. You will have the ability to download movies in a matter of minutes – allowing you view what you like, when you demand it , and getting rid of the hanging around for large downloads.

Fans of on-demand TV can enjoy their best shows on the Sky Now TV, and also rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without buffering.

Reduced latency means move favourable response times delivered by high speed internet means that online gamers gain a competitive advantage over the opposition and can enjoy a better playing experience.

Disadvantages of fibre internet connectivity

Speeds are never 100% as advertised (although are often very close ) and rely on things that are out of your control , like the quality of copper connectivity and the distance you live from the cabinet . Despite the fact that fibre connectivity is available in your area , these limiting factors may not bring many benefits in speed for a much higher price .

Who is  high speed internet connectivity for?

The massive growth in the number of people streaming music , streaming video and watching on demand TV online means that there is no more a typical user of high speed internet .

However, if you are a heavy downloader or are one of the increasing number of consumers who prefer to catch up with TV programmes online, it makes sense to join a high speed connectivity service – preferably fibre optic for the very best service.

High speed connectivity is also ideal for fans of online gaming . This is because faster connectivity gets rid of the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is known as ping,  which is often  brought on by slower traditional internet connectivity products . This can seriously ruin your online gaming pleasure.

If you only use the internet for checking your e-mail and for the occasional search, it’s more prudent to select a standard ADSL connection.

Pothole – Other Areas

Cynwyd

Butt Lane

Elmer

Lower Pitkerrie

Compton

Welford On Avon

Upper Ham

Puttenham

Lypiatt

West Yeo