Who needs Super-fast Broadband FTTC ?

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

Bidborough Broadband Deals For April 2024

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 most of us need 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 small business has the capacity to do what they want online– all simultaneously– without any annoying delays.

What is super-fast broadband?

Super-fast broadband describes broadband connections of more than 300Mbps in the UK.

Super-fast broadband connections enable users to surf the internet, download music & video and stream television at speeds that are massively above most broadband users.

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

How does fibre internet operate?

Unlike most of UK broadband connections, which use telephone lines, the UK’s quickest 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 composed of glass and plastic, which allows data to move much quicker than along the copper pipes used by standard ADSL internet connectivity.

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

 

 

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

However, fast internet is not exclusively available 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 internet provider’s exchange you can still get fast internet by enrolling in selected ADSL2+ internet services from the companies like O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.

ADSL2+

This style of connectivity uses the same cables and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL phone-line connections, but as a result of the software and technology 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 inhabit a town or built up location you can realistically expect speeds of approximately 16Mb or more. This still provides plenty of bandwidth for heavy internet users, and at a smaller cost than cable.

Which super-fast internet product is the quickest ?

Among the UK’s quickest broadband 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 network and feature headline speeds in line with 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 fibre optic broadband ?

Your first step is to see which high speed broadband services are available at your exhaage. Check which service are available.

 

Benefits of super-fast internet

High speed internet connectivity empowers you to make the most of all the services available on the internet. You will be able to watch movies in a within minutes – allowing you watch what you want , when you want it , and banishing the days of long waiting times for astronomical downloads.

Fans of on-demand show will love their best shows on the BBC iPlayer , and even rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without buffering.

Reduced latency means better response times delivered by super-fast connectivity means that online gamers gain a competitive advantage over the opposition and can enjoy a better more enjoyable experience.

Disadvantages of fibre broadband

Speeds are never guaranteed 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 green box. Even when super-fast broadband is on offer in your area , these limiting factors may yield little difference in performance for a much higher price .

Who is  high speed broadband  for?

The massive growth in the amount of people listening to music, downloading video and watching catchup TV online means that there is no longer a typical user of fibre connectivity .

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 sign up for a fibre internet connectivity service – preferably fibre optic for the best service .

Super fast broadband is also ideal for fans of online gaming . This is because a faster connection eliminates the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is referred to as ping,  which is often  as a resulted of slower DSL internet products . This can seriously ruin your online gaming experience .

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

Bidborough – Other Areas

Stirchley

Wroxton Heath

Riverton

Cae Clyd

Kirkham Abbey

Brigsteer

Tilley

Tivington

Armston

Kensington