Who needs Super-fast Fibre Connectivity ?
Broadband has become more and more essential to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use on a daily basis that depend on broadband connectivity seems to increase. The number of tablets, smartphones, laptops, desktops, games consoles and TV’s that each person has in their homes, seems to increase on a daily basis.
Heights Broadband Deals For April 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 we all would love 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 turned on at the same time. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or company has the opportunity to do what they want online– all at the same time– without any annoying delays.
What is super-fast broadband?
Super-fast broadband concerns broadband connections of right 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 above most internet users.
While the current average UK internet connection is around 12Mbps (2014), superfast broadband products deliver speeds of right up to 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic broadband networks which include Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.
How does fibre connectivity work ?
Unlike many 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 made up of glass and plastic, which allows data to move much faster than along the copper cables 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 residence in in the 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 broadband is not only on offer to people in a fibre broadband locations. 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 getting selected ADSL2+ internet services from the likes of O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.
ADSL2+
This sort of connectivity uses the same cabling and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL internet connections, but thanks to the software and technology used it can deliver speeds of about 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “right up to 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 city or built up area you can realistically expect speeds of to 16Mb or more. This still provides ample bandwidth for heavy internet users, and at a smaller cost than cable.
Which high speed connectivity 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 broadband network.
BT’s Infinity package delivers 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 fast broadband ?
Your 1st step is to see which superfast internet services are available at your exhaage. Check which types of connectivity are available.
Advantages of super-fast broadband connectivity
Super-fast internet connectivity lets you use all the music streaming available on the world wide web. You’ll have the opportunity to download movies in a within minutes – allowing you watch what you want , when you like it, and banishing the days of long waiting times for large downloads.
Fans of on-demand show will love their best shows on the BBC iPlayer , in addition to rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without buffering.
Reduced latency means better response times delivered by super fast connectivity means that online gamers gain a competitive advantage over the opposition and can enjoy a better gaming experience.
Disadvantages of super-fast connectivity
Speeds are never guaranteed 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 exchange . Even when super-fast internet is available in your area , these limiting factors may not bring many benefits in speed for a much higher annual price.
Who is high speed internet connectivity for?
The massive growth in the number of people streaming music , downloading video and watching on demand 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 sense to register for a super fast internet connectivity product – preferably fibre optic for the very best service.
Fibre internet is also ideal for fans of online gaming . Due to the fact faster connectivity eliminates the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is known as ping, which is often caused by slower ADSL internet services . 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 favour a standard ADSL deal .
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