Who needs Super-fast Connections ?
Broadband has become more and more important to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use per day that rely upon 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 each day.
Eshott Broadband Deals For September 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 being stuck in commuter traffic, something that all of us would like to avoid.
Quite simply, traditional broadband connections often struggle to come to grips with 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 manages to do what they want online– all at the same time– with no annoying delays.
What is super-fast broadband?
Super-fast broadband relates to broadband connections of around 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 greater than most broadband users.
While the current average UK internet connection is around 12Mbps (2014), superfast broadband products deliver speeds of up to 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic cabled networks like Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.
How does super-fast broadband work ?
Unlike many UK broadband 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 made of glass and plastic, which allows data to move much faster than along the copper cables used by traditional ADSL broadband .
BT also offers a more than 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 future .
The likes of TalkTalk, Sky and EE have used BT’s Infinity service to launch rebranded high speed cable broadband products of their own.
However, fast broadband is not only available to people in a fibre-optic broadband area . 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 broadband by signing up for selected ADSL2+ internet services from the likes of O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.
ADSL2+
This form of connection uses the same cabling and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL phone-line connections, but because of the software and technology used it can deliver speeds of around 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “almost 16Mb”.
Your speed depends, as always, on the quality of the copper and the distance you are from the exchange, but if you live in a town or built up area you can realistically expect speeds of about 16Mb or more. This still provides sufficient bandwidth for heavy internet users, and at a smaller cost than cable.
Which super-fast broadband product is the best?
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 as a result of its superfast fibre 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 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 super-fast connectivity?
Your first step is to see which super-fast broadband services are available at your exhaage. Check which service are available.
Benefits of super fast broadband connectivity
Super fast internet lets you enjoy all the video on demand available on the world wide web. You will have the chance to download movies in a in a few minutes – allowing you view what you want , when you demand it , and getting rid of the days of long waiting times for huge downloads.
Fans of on-demand TV can enjoy their best shows on the BBC iPlayer , and even rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without buffering.
Reduced ‘ping’ means better response times delivered by super fast connectivity means that online gamers gain an one-upmanship over the competition and can enjoy a better gaming experience.
Disadvantages of fibre connectivity
Speeds are never guaranteed as advertised (although are often very close ) and based upon things that are not within your control, like the age of copper connectivity and the distance you live from the green box. Even though fibre internet connectivity is on offer in your area , these limiting factors may not bring many benefits in speed for a much higher monthly cost .
Who is fibre connectivity for?
The massive growth in the range of people downloading music , video and watching catchup TV online means that there is no longer a typical user of super-fast internet 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 service – preferably fibre optic for the best service .
Super fast internet is also ideal for fans of online games . Due to the fact a faster connection gets rid of the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is known as ping, which is commonly caused by slower DSL broadband services . This can seriously ruin your online gaming pleasure.
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 deal .
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