Who needs Superfast Broadband Connections ?
Broadband has become much more vital to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use on a daily basis that bank on broadband connectivity seems to increase. The range of tablets, smartphones, laptops, desktops, games consoles and TV’s that each person has in their homes, seems to increase everyday.
Barnard Gate Broadband Deals For November 2023
[elementor-template id=”137965″]| 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 being stuck in commuter traffic, something that most of us would like to avoid.
Quite simply, traditional broadband connections often struggle to deal with the simultaneous demands of downloading large files, streaming videos or music, with multiple devices and appliances turned on all at once. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or company has the chance to do what they want online– all simultaneously– 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 connect to the internet , stream music & video and stream television at speeds that are massively higher than most internet users.
While the current average UK broadband connection is around 12Mbps (2014), super-fast internet products deliver speeds of about 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic broadband networks especially Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.
How does superfast internet work ?
Unlike most of UK broadband connections, which use telephony lines, the UK’s fastest broadband product – the 100Mbps service from Virgin Media (it’s 200Mbps in some areas) – is delivered by a cable, or fibre-optic, broadband network. These cables are comprised of glass and plastic, which allows data to move much quicker than along the copper cables used by traditional DSL connectivity .
BT also offers a right 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 years to come.
The likes of TalkTalk, Sky and EE have used BT’s Infinity service to launch rebranded high speed cable broadband services of their own.
However, fast internet is not exclusively 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 internet by subscribing to selected ADSL2+ broadband services from the providers like O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.
ADSL2+
This kind of connection uses the same cables and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL phone-line connections, but as a result of the software and technology being used it can deliver speeds of about 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “as high as 16Mb”.
Your speed depends, as always, on the quality of the copper and the distance you are from the exchange, but if you reside in a city or built up location you can realistically expect speeds of right up to 16Mb or more. This still provides more than enough bandwidth for heavy internet users, and at a smaller cost than cable.
Which superfast internet product is the fastest?
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 because of its super-fast fibre-optic connectivity network.
BT’s Infinity package offers a maximum speed of 76Mbps and the previously mentioned services from Sky, EE and TalkTalk, which use BT’s fibre 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 high speed connectivity?
Your initial step is to see which fast internet services are available at your exhaage. Check which service are available.
Advantages of super fast internet
High speed internet can let you use all the entertainment services on offer online. You will have the ability to watch movies in a within minutes – allowing you consume what you want , when you want it , and getting rid of the hanging around for huge downloads.
Fans of on-demand programmes will love their best shows on the Sky Now TV, as well as rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without interruption .
Reduced ‘ping’ means improved response times delivered by fibre broadband means that when playing game online you an one-upmanship over the competition and can enjoy a better playing experience.
Disadvantages of high speed broadband
Speeds are never 100% as advertised (although are often very near) and dependent on things that are not within your control, like the age of copper connectivity and the distance you live from the exchange . Even when super-fast internet connectivity is available in your area , these limiting factors may not bring many benefits in performance for a much higher monthly cost .
Who is FTTC broadband for?
The massive growth in the range of people downloading music , streaming video and watching on demand TV online means that there is no longer a typical user of super-fast broadband .
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 product – preferably fibre for the very best service.
Super-fast connectivity is also ideal for fans of online gaming . Due to the fact faster connectivity eliminates the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is called ping, which is commonly triggered by slower traditional 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 take a traditional ADSL service .
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