Who needs Superfast Connectivity ?
Broadband has become much more important to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use every day that utilise broadband connectivity seems to increase. The range of tablets, smartphones, laptops, desktops, games consoles and TV’s that everyone has in their homes, seems to increase on a daily basis.
Bobbing Broadband Deals For December 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 sitting in commuter traffic, something that most of us wish 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 logged on simultaneously. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or business is able to do what they want online– all all at once– with no annoying delays.
What is fast broadband?
Super-fast broadband relates 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 above most broadband users.
While the current average UK internet connection is around 12Mbps (2014), super-fast broadband products deliver speeds of to 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic cabled networks specifically Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.
How does fibre broadband work ?
Unlike many of UK internet connections, which use telephony lines, the UK’s fastest internet 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 faster than along the copper cables used by standard DSL internet .
BT also offers an as much as 76Mb fibre service called 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 piggybacked on BT’s Infinity service to launch rebranded super fast cable broadband products of their own.
However, fast internet is not only available to people in a fibre 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 signing up for selected ADSL2+ broadband services from the providers like O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.
ADSL2+
This form of connection uses the same cabling and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL phone-line connections, but due to the software and technology 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 wiring and the distance you are from the exchange, but if you dwell in a town or built up area you can realistically expect speeds of about 16Mb or more. This still provides plenty of bandwidth for heavy internet users, and at a smaller cost than cable.
Which high speed broadband product is the fastest?
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 as a result of its superfast 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 optic network and feature headline speeds in line with BT.
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 high speed connectivity?
Your initial step is to see which super-fast internet services are available in your area . Check which types of connectivity are available.
Advantages of high bandwidth broadband connectivity
Fast internet connectivity can let you enjoy all the music streaming on offer on the world wide web. You will have the opportunity to watch movies in a matter of minutes – allowing you watch what you want , when you like it, and getting rid of the hanging around for very large downloads.
Fans of on-demand show can enjoy their best shows on the Sky Now TV, including rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without interruption .
Reduced latency means move favourable response times delivered by super fast broadband means that when playing game online you an one-upmanship over the opposition and can enjoy a better more enjoyable experience.
Disadvantages of super-fast 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 BT exchange . Although super-fast internet connectivity is available in your area , these limiting factors may yield little difference in performance for a much higher annual price.
Who is high speed internet connectivity for?
The massive growth in the range of people downloading music , downloading video and watching catchup TV online means that there is no more a typical user of super fast 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 enrol in a super-fast connectivity deal – 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 known as ping, which is often caused by slower traditional internet 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 opt for a standard ADSL connection.
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