Who needs Superfast FTTC ?
Broadband has become much more essential to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use every 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 daily.
Harpley Broadband Deals For November 2024
Sky Broadband Essential​
Unlimited Usage-
Average speed 11MBPS
-
ADSL Broadband
-
UNLIMITED Usage
Line Rental Included
There is no extra charge for line rental.
Guaranteed WiFi In Every Room
If you can't get WiFi in every room of your house then Sky will give you your money back.
Fast Installation + Keep Your Number
Get your new broadband installed super fast and you can keep your own number
Sky Broadband Superfast
Unlimited Usage-
Average speed 59MBPS
-
Fast Fibre Broadband
-
UNLIMITED Usage
Line Rental Included
There is no extra charge for line rental.
Guaranteed WiFi In Every Room
If you can't get WiFi in every room of your house then Sky will give you your money back.
Fast Installation + Keep Your Number
Get your new broadband installed super fast and you can keep your own number
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 wish to avoid.
Quite simply, traditional broadband connections often struggle to cope with the simultaneous demands of downloading large files, streaming videos or music, with multiple devices and appliances logged on all at once. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or local business has the opportunity to do what they want online– all simultaneously– without any annoying delays.
What is quick broadband?
Super-fast broadband concerns broadband connections of as high as 300Mbps in the UK.
Super-fast broadband connections enable users to go online , stream music & video and stream television at speeds that are massively more than most internet users.
While the current average UK internet connection is around 12Mbps (2014), super-fast 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 superfast internet work ?
Unlike most UK broadband connections, which use telephone lines, the UK’s quickest 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 up of glass and plastic, which allows data to move much faster than along the copper cables used by traditional ADSL connectivity .
BT also offers an up to 76Mb fibre 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 near 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 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 broadband provider’s exchange you can still get fast internet by joining selected ADSL2+ broadband services from the providers like 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 used it can deliver speeds of approximately 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “to 16Mb”.
Your speed depends, as always, on the quality of the cabling and the distance you are from the exchange, but if you reside in a city or built up location you can realistically expect speeds of around 16Mb or more. This still provides sufficient 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 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 thanks to its super-fast fibre broadband 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 according to 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 copper to carry more data.
How do I get superfast connectivity?
Your start is to decide which highspeed broadband services are available to you . Check which types of connectivity are available.
Benefits of super fast broadband connections
Super-fast internet connectivity can let you utilise all the services available on the net. You’ll manage to watch movies in a within minutes – allowing you consume what you like, when you demand it , and getting rid of the hanging around for huge downloads.
Fans of on-demand TV will love their favourite shows on the BBC iPlayer , and even rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without interruption .
Reduced ‘ping’ means improved response times delivered by super-fast broadband means that when playing game online you a competitive advantage over the competition and can enjoy a better playing experience.
Disadvantages of super-fast internet
Speeds are never 100% as advertised (although are often very near) and based upon things that are out of your control , like the quality of copper connectivity and the distance you live from the green box. Although fibre internet is on offer in your location, these limiting factors may not bring many improvements in speed for a much higher cost .
Who is fibre connectivity for?
The massive growth in the number of people downloading music , downloading video and watching TV online means that there is no more 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 sense to subscribe to a fibre broadband product – preferably fibre for the best service.
Super fast broadband is also ideal for fans of online games . Due to the fact faster connectivity gets rid of the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is called ping, which is often brought on by slower ADSL broadband 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 choose a traditional ADSL service .
Sky Broadband Essential​
Unlimited Usage-
Average speed 11MBPS
-
ADSL Broadband
-
UNLIMITED Usage
Line Rental Included
There is no extra charge for line rental.
Guaranteed WiFi In Every Room
If you can't get WiFi in every room of your house then Sky will give you your money back.
Fast Installation + Keep Your Number
Get your new broadband installed super fast and you can keep your own number
Sky Broadband Superfast
Unlimited Usage-
Average speed 59MBPS
-
Fast Fibre Broadband
-
UNLIMITED Usage
Line Rental Included
There is no extra charge for line rental.
Guaranteed WiFi In Every Room
If you can't get WiFi in every room of your house then Sky will give you your money back.
Fast Installation + Keep Your Number
Get your new broadband installed super fast and you can keep your own number