Who needs Quick Fibre Internet ?
Broadband has become much more necessary to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use every single day that rely on broadband connectivity seems to increase. The number of tablets, smartphones, laptops, desktops, games consoles and TV’s that everyone has in their homes, seems to increase on a daily basis.
Maidens 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 sitting in commuter traffic, something that most 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 signed on at the same time. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or small business is able to do what they want online– all all at once– without any annoying delays.
What is super-fast broadband?
Super-fast broadband describes broadband connections of as high as 300Mbps in the UK.
Super-fast broadband connections enable users to surf the internet, stream music & video and stream television at speeds that are massively greater than most internet users.
While the current average UK broadband connection is around 12Mbps (2014), high speed broadband products deliver speeds of approximately 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic cabled networks which include Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.
How does fibre broadband operate?
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 quicker than along the copper cables used by traditional ADSL internet connectivity.
BT also offers a more than 76Mb fibre service called 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 used 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 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 broadband provider’s exchange you can still get fast broadband by enrolling in selected ADSL2+ internet packages from the providers like O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.
ADSL2+
This style of connection uses the same cabling and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL internet connections, but due to the software and technology used it can deliver speeds of about 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “about 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 town or built up area you can realistically expect speeds of as much as 16Mb or more. This still provides plenty of bandwidth for heavy internet users, and at a smaller cost than cable.
Which super-fast connectivity 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 due to its superfast fibre broadband network.
BT’s Infinity package delivers a maximum speed of 76Mbps and the aforementioned services from Sky, EE and TalkTalk, which use BT’s fibre optic 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 cabling to carry more data.
How do I get fibre broadband ?
Your 1st step is to decide which super-fast broadband services are available at your exhaage. Check which types of connectivity are available.
Advantages of high speed broadband connections
Fast internet connectivity lets you enjoy all the entertainment services on offer online. You’ll manage to watch movies in a matter of minutes – allowing you consume what you like, when you like it, and getting rid of the hanging around for astronomical downloads.
Fans of on-demand TV can enjoy their best shows on the BBC iPlayer , in addition to rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without interruption .
Reduced ‘ping’ means improved response times delivered by fibre internet means that when online gaming you gain an one-upmanship over the opponents and can enjoy a better playing experience.
Disadvantages of high speed broadband
Speeds are never guaranteed as advertised (although are often very near) and rely on things that are out of your control , like the age of copper connectivity and the distance you live from the cabinet . Wherever super-fast broadband is on offer in your location, these limiting factors may not bring many benefits in speed for a much higher cost .
Who is high speed internet for?
The massive growth in the amount of people downloading music , downloading video and watching catchup 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 enrol for a super fast internet deal – preferably fibre optic for the very best service.
Super fast internet connectivity is also ideal for fans of online games . Due to the fact a faster connection eliminates the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is called ping, which is commonly as a resulted of slower DSL broadband products . This can seriously ruin your online 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 .
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