Who needs High Speed FTTC Connectivity ?
Broadband has become much more essential to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use each day that bank on broadband connectivity seems to increase. The quantity of tablets, smartphones, laptops, desktops, games consoles and TV’s that everyone has in their homes, seems to increase everyday.
Edstone 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 sitting in commuter traffic, something that most of us would love to avoid.
Quite simply, traditional broadband connections often struggle to manage the simultaneous demands of downloading large files, streaming videos or music, with multiple devices and appliances signed on at the same time. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or small company has the opportunity to do what they want online– all at the same time– with no annoying delays.
What is fast broadband?
Super-fast broadband refers to broadband connections of approximately 300Mbps in the UK.
Super-fast broadband connections enable users to go online , download 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), superfast internet products deliver speeds of right up to 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic broadband networks such as Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.
How does superfast connectivity operate?
Unlike most UK broadband connections, which use telephony lines, the UK’s fastest 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 made of glass and plastic, which allows data to move much faster than along the copper cables used by standard ADSL broadband .
BT also offers a to 76Mb fibre service called BT Infinity (you can get 300Mbps in some areas), and plans to make this available to millions more UK residence in in the not too distant future.
The likes of TalkTalk, Sky and EE have resold 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 internet provider’s exchange you can still get fast broadband by signing up for selected ADSL2+ internet packages from the providers like O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.
ADSL2+
This style of connection uses the same wiring 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 up to 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “around 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 to 16Mb or more. This still provides more than enough bandwidth for heavy internet users, and at a smaller cost than cable.
Which super-fast connectivity product is the fastest?
Among the UK’s fastest 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 superfast 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 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 cabling to carry more data.
How do I get super-fast connectivity?
Your initial step is to decide which highspeed internet services are available in your area . Check which service are available.
Benefits of super-fast broadband connections
Fast broadband empowers you to utilise all the video on demand on offer online. You’ll have the capacity to download movies in a matter of minutes – allowing you watch what you want , when you demand it , and banishing the days of long waiting times for big downloads.
Fans of on-demand TV can enjoy their favourite shows on the BBC iPlayer , including rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without interruption .
Reduced latency means better response times delivered by super-fast internet means that when online gaming you gain an one-upmanship over the competition and can enjoy a better more enjoyable experience.
Disadvantages of fibre internet connectivity
Speeds are never 100% as advertised (although are often very close ) and based on things that are not within your control, like the quality of wiring and the distance you live from the BT exchange . Even when super-fast connectivity is available in your area , these limiting factors may not bring many benefits in speed for a much higher monthly cost .
Who is fibre internet connectivity for?
The massive growth in the quantity of people streaming music , video and watching on demand TV online means that there is no more 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 enrol in a fibre connectivity deal – preferably fibre optic for the very best service.
Super fast internet connectivity is also ideal for fans of online console usage. Due to the fact a faster connection eliminates the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is referred to as ping, which is commonly caused by slower DSL broadband products. 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 go with a traditional ADSL service .
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