Who needs Super-fast FTTC ?

Broadband has become more and more important to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use every day that rely upon broadband connectivity seems to increase. The range of tablets, smartphones, laptops, desktops, games consoles and TV’s that everyone has in their homes, seems to increase on a daily basis.

Highlands Broadband Deals For March 2024

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Connection TypeAvailablity
FTTC / Fibre / Superfast BroadbandYes
Cable / Virgin MediaSome Areas
ADSL / BroadbandYes
4GYes

Working from home is commonplace as it saves people sitting in commuter traffic, something that we all 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 all at once. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or small business manages to do what they want online– all all at once– without any annoying delays.

What is fast broadband?

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

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

While the current average UK broadband connection is around 12Mbps (2014), superfast internet products deliver speeds of to 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic broadband networks including Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.

How does superfast connectivity work ?

Unlike many UK broadband connections, which use telephony 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 pipes used by traditional DSL connectivity .

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BT also offers an up to 76Mb fibre-optic service called BT 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 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 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 internet provider’s exchange you can still get fast broadband by signing up for selected ADSL2+ internet packages from the likes of O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.

ADSL2+

This sort of connectivity uses the same wiring and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL broadband connections, but thanks to the software and technology used it can deliver speeds of almost 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 dwell in a city or built up area you can realistically expect speeds of up 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 broadband product is the best?

Among the UK’s quickest 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 thanks to its superfast fibre-optic broadband network.

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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 super-fast broadband ?

Your start is to see which high speed broadband services are available in your area . Check which products are available.

 

Advantages of super fast broadband connectivity

High speed broadband lets you enjoy all the video on demand on offer on the net. You’ll have the chance to download movies in a within minutes – allowing you watch what you like, when you want it , and banishing the hanging around for huge downloads.

Fans of on-demand show can enjoy their favourite shows on the BBC iPlayer , including rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without buffering.

Reduced ‘ping’ means better response times delivered by super-fast internet means that when playing game online you an one-upmanship over the opponents and can enjoy a better playing experience.

Disadvantages of FTTC internet connectivity

Speeds are never guaranteed as advertised (although are often very close ) and depend on things that are out of your control , like the age of wiring and the distance you live from the exchange . Even when high speed internet is available in your location, these limiting factors may not bring many benefits in speed for a much higher annual price.

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Who is  fibre broadband  for?

The massive growth in the range of people listening to music, downloading video and watching on demand TV online means that there is no longer a typical user of high speed internet .

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 super-fast connectivity product – preferably fibre optic for the best service .

Super-fast connectivity 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 known as ping,  which is commonly caused by slower DSL internet connectivity services . 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 decide on a traditional ADSL connection.

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Highlands – Other Areas

  • Ardersier
  • Little Torboll
  • Ellan
  • Waterloo
  • Kinloch Laggan
  • Ardroag
  • Acharacle
  • Lochside
  • Faichem
  • Springfield