Who needs Super-fast Broadband Internet ?

Broadband has become more and more important to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use every single day that depend on broadband connectivity seems to increase. The amount of tablets, smartphones, laptops, desktops, games consoles and TV’s that everyone has in their homes, seems to increase every day.

Bowerchalke Broadband Deals For October 2025

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 all 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 at the same time. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or business is able to do what they want online– all at the same time– without any annoying delays.

What is high speed broadband?

Super-fast broadband describes broadband connections of up to 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 broadband users.

While the current average UK broadband connection is around 12Mbps (2014), high speed broadband products deliver speeds of up to 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic cabled networks such as Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.

How does super-fast connectivity operate?

Unlike many UK internet 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 pipes used by standard ADSL 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 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 internet is not exclusively on offer to people in a fibre broadband area . Fast broadband is not exclusively on offer to people in a fibre-optic broadband area. If you live within a certain distant of your broadband provider’s exchange you can still get fast broadband by subscribing to selected ADSL2+ internet packages from the likes of O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.

ADSL2+

This type of connectivity uses the same cabling and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL broadband connections, but because of the software and technology used it can deliver speeds of as high as 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “about 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 town or built up area you can realistically expect speeds of as much as 16Mb or more. This still provides plenty of bandwidth for heavy internet users, and at a smaller cost than cable.

Which super-fast broadband 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 thanks to its super-fast fibre-optic broadband network.

BT’s Infinity package delivers 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 cabling to carry more data.

How do I get high speed connectivity?

Your initial step is to decide which fast broadband services are available at your exhaage. Check which types of connectivity are available.

 

Advantages of high speed broadband connections

Super fast internet connectivity empowers you to use all the services on offer on the web. You’ll have the capacity to watch movies in a in a few minutes – allowing you view what you want , when you demand it , and banishing the days of long waiting times for large downloads.

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

Reduced ‘ping’ means better response times delivered by fibre internet means that when playing game online you an one-upmanship over the competition and can enjoy a better playing experience.

Disadvantages of fibre connectivity

Speeds are never guaranteed as advertised (although are often very close ) and based upon things that are out of your control , like the age of wiring and the distance you live from the cabinet . Although super-fast broadband is available in your area , these limiting factors may not bring many benefits in speed for a much higher monthly cost .

Who is  fibre broadband  for?

The massive growth in the range of people downloading music , streaming video and watching catchup TV online means that there is no longer 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 sense to enrol for a super fast connectivity service – preferably fibre optic for the best service.

High speed connectivity 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 often  brought on by 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 choose a traditional ADSL connection.

Bowerchalke – Other Areas

Roose

Leesthorpe

Harbour Heights

Greenheys

Hacklinge

Kingsford

Pitstone Hill

Ploxgreen

Lynch Hill

Blackstone