Who needs Superfast FTTC Internet?

Broadband has become more and more necessary 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 each person has in their homes, seems to increase on a daily basis.

Howe Street Broadband Deals For September 2024

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 we all need 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 logged on simultaneously. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or small company manages 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 more than 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 higher than most internet users.

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

How does superfast broadband operate?

Unlike many UK internet connections, which use telephony lines, the UK’s quickest internet 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 cables used by standard xDSL connectivity .

BT also offers an up to 76Mb fibre service called 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 used BT’s Infinity service to launch rebranded super fast cable broadband products of their own.

However, fast internet is not only on offer 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 distant of your internet provider’s exchange you can still get fast internet by registering selected ADSL2+ internet packages from the likes of O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.

ADSL2+

This style of connectivity uses the same cables and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL internet connections, but thanks to the software and technology used it can deliver speeds of around 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “to 16Mb”.

Your speed depends, as always, on the quality of the copper and the distance you are from the exchange, but if you reside in a town or built up location you can realistically expect speeds of as much as 16Mb or more. This still provides more than enough bandwidth for heavy internet users, and at a smaller cost than cable.

Which super-fast internet product is the best?

Among the UK’s fastest internet 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 broadband 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 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 copper to carry more data.

How do I get fibre optic connectivity?

Your 1st step is to see which high speed broadband services are available to you . Check which types of connectivity are available.

 

Benefits of super fast broadband connections

High speed broadband can let you make the most of all the music streaming on offer on the web. You will have the capacity to download movies in a within minutes – allowing you view what you like, when you like it, and banishing the days of long waiting times for enormous downloads.

Fans of on-demand show will love their best shows on the Sky Now TV, in addition to rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without buffering.

Reduced latency means move favourable response times delivered by high speed connectivity means that online gamers gain a competitive advantage over the competition and can enjoy a better more enjoyable experience.

Disadvantages of super-fast connectivity

Speeds are never 100% as advertised (although are often very near) and dependent on things that are not within your control, like the quality of copper connectivity and the distance you live from the BT exchange . Even though super-fast broadband is available in your location, these limiting factors may not bring many improvements in speed for a much higher monthly price .

Who is  high speed connectivity  for?

The massive growth in the quantity of people downloading music , streaming video and watching catchup TV online means that there is no more a typical user of fibre 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 enrol in a super fast broadband service – preferably fibre for the very best service.

Fibre internet connectivity is also ideal for fans of online console usage. This is because faster connectivity eliminates the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is known as ping,  which is commonly caused by slower DSL internet products. 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 go for a standard ADSL service .

Howe Street – Other Areas

Emerson Valley

Stonecrouch

Llanfair

Pickford Green

Morestead

Torries

Torrieston

Moncreiffe

Y Rhws

South Milton