Who needs Superfast Connectivity ?

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

Balnamore Broadband Deals For March 2024

[elementor-template id=”137965″]
Connection TypeAvailablity
FTTC / Fibre / Superfast BroadbandYes
Cable / Virgin MediaSome Areas
ADSL / BroadbandYes
4GYes

Working from home is commonplace as it saves people sitting in commuter traffic, something that most of us would love 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 turned on concurrently. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or small business has the chance to do what they want online– all at the same time– with no annoying delays.

What is fast broadband?

Super-fast broadband refers to broadband connections of about 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 broadband connection is around 12Mbps (2014), high speed broadband products deliver speeds of around 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic cabled networks like Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.

How does fibre connectivity operate?

Unlike most of UK broadband connections, which use telephony lines, the UK’s fastest broadband 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 pipes used by traditional DSL broadband .

Check Out  Craigs Middle

BT also offers an up to 76Mb fibre-optic service called BT Infinity (you can get 300Mbps in some areas), and plans to make this available to millions more UK homes in in the not too distant future.

 

 

The likes of TalkTalk, Sky and EE have piggybacked on BT’s Infinity service to launch rebranded super-fast cable broadband services of their own.

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

ADSL2+

This style of connectivity uses the same cabling and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL phone-line connections, but thanks to the software and technology being used it can deliver speeds of as high as 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “approximately 16Mb”.

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

Which high speed connectivity product is the best?

Among the UK’s quickest connectivity 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 thanks to its superfast fibre connectivity network.

Check Out  Clogh Mills

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 copper to carry more data.

How do I get super-fast broadband ?

Your start is to see which high speed internet services are available at your exhaage. Check which products are available.

 

Advantages of high speed internet

High speed internet connectivity lets you enjoy all the services on offer on the internet. You will have the capacity to download movies in a matter of minutes – allowing you view what you want , when you like it, and getting rid of the hanging around for very large downloads.

Fans of on-demand show will love their favourite shows on the Sky Now TV, besides rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without interruption .

Reduced ‘ping’ means improved response times delivered by super fast broadband means that online gamers gain a competitive advantage over the competition and can enjoy a better more enjoyable experience.

Disadvantages of high speed internet connectivity

Speeds are never guaranteed as advertised (although are often very close ) and depend on things that are out of your control , like the quality of copper connectivity and the distance you live from the green box. Though super fast connectivity is on offer in your area , these limiting factors may yield little difference in performance for a much higher annual price.

Check Out  Garryduff

Who is  FTTC internet  for?

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

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 good sense to register for a super-fast broadband deal – preferably fibre optic for the best service.

Fibre internet is also ideal for fans of online games . This is because a faster connection eliminates the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is called ping,  which is commonly brought on by slower ADSL internet connectivity services . This can seriously ruin your gaming experience .

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

[elementor-template id=”137965″]

Balnamore – Other Areas

  • Chainbridge
  • Westdean
  • Skullomie
  • Lillingstone Dayrell
  • Low Habberley
  • Gellyhill
  • Old Town
  • Longnor
  • North Weston
  • Rushford