Who needs Superfast FTTC Internet?

Broadband has become more and more vital to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use every day 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 each day.

Crawley Broadband Deals For October 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 being stuck in commuter traffic, something that we all 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 at the same time. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or company has the capacity to do what they want online– all at the same time– with no annoying delays.

What is fast broadband?

Super-fast broadband relates to broadband connections of around 300Mbps in the UK.

Super-fast broadband connections enable users to go online , stream music & video and stream television at speeds that are massively higher than most broadband users.

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

How does high speed internet work ?

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

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 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 broadband by signing up for selected ADSL2+ broadband packages from the likes of O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.

ADSL2+

This kind of connection uses the same cables and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL internet connections, but as a result of the software and technology being used it can deliver speeds of approximately 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “approximately 16Mb”.

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

Which high speed broadband 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 due to its super-fast fibre 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.

 

 

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 superfast connectivity?

Your first step is to see which highspeed internet services are available to you . Check which types of connectivity are available.

 

Benefits of high speed broadband connectivity

Super-fast broadband can let you use all the video on demand available on the world wide web. You will have the ability to download movies in a within minutes – allowing you consume what you want , when you want it , and banishing the hanging around for astronomical downloads.

Fans of on-demand programmes can enjoy their best shows on the BBC iPlayer , together with rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without buffering.

Reduced ‘ping’ means improved response times delivered by super fast connectivity means that when online gaming you gain a competitive advantage over the opponents and can enjoy a better gaming experience.

Disadvantages of high speed internet connectivity

Speeds are never 100% as advertised (although are often very close ) and rely on things that are out of your control , like the quality of wiring and the distance you live from the cabinet . Even when super-fast internet connectivity is available in your area , these limiting factors may not bring many improvements in performance for a much higher cost .

Who is  FTTC connectivity  for?

The massive growth in the number of people streaming music , video and watching catchup TV online means that there is no longer a typical user of super fast internet .

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 internet service – preferably fibre for the best service.

Super fast internet is also ideal for fans of online gaming . Due to the fact a faster connection eliminates the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is called ping,  which is often  as a resulted of slower traditional connectivity products . This can seriously ruin your gaming pleasure.

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

Crawley – Other Areas

Gainsford End

West Dereham

Dunham On Trent

Clatter

Ramsley

New Brookend

Batchcote

Digg

Terhill

Little Fencote