Who needs Super-fast Broadband Internet ?
Broadband has become more and more vital to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use each day that rely on broadband connectivity seems to increase. The quantity of tablets, smartphones, laptops, desktops, games consoles and TV’s that everyone has in their homes, seems to increase daily.
Minera Broadband Deals For May 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 being stuck in commuter traffic, something that all of us 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 turned on concurrently. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or small business has the capacity to do what they want online– all simultaneously– with no annoying delays.
What is super-fast broadband?
Super-fast broadband refers to broadband connections of about 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 more than most internet users.
While the current average UK broadband connection is around 12Mbps (2014), superfast internet products deliver speeds of as high as 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic broadband networks which includes Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.
How does high speed broadband work ?
Unlike many UK broadband 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 comprised of glass and plastic, which allows data to move much faster than along the copper pipes used by traditional DSL connectivity .
BT also offers a right 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 future .
The likes of TalkTalk, Sky and EE have piggybacked on 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 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 enrolling in selected ADSL2+ broadband packages from the companies like O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.
ADSL2+
This kind of connection uses the same wiring and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL broadband connections, but because of the software and technology being used it can deliver speeds of about 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “almost 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 city or built up area you can realistically expect speeds of approximately 16Mb or more. This still provides sufficient 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 superfast fibre connectivity 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.
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 broadband ?
Your initial step is to decide which fast internet services are available at your exhaage. Check which types of connectivity are available.
Advantages of super fast internet
High speed internet connectivity enables you to make the most of all the music streaming on offer on-line. You will have the ability to watch movies in a within minutes – allowing you consume what you like, when you demand it , and banishing the hanging around for very large downloads.
Fans of on-demand TV will love their best shows on the Sky Now TV, and even rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without interruption .
Reduced ‘ping’ means better response times delivered by high speed broadband means that online gamers gain a competitive advantage over the opposition and can enjoy a better more enjoyable experience.
Disadvantages of FTTC connectivity
Speeds are never guaranteed as advertised (although are often very close ) and rely on things that are not within your control, like the quality of wiring and the distance you live from the green box. Whether super-fast internet is available in your location, these limiting factors may not bring many benefits in speed for a much higher monthly price .
Who is fibre internet connectivity for?
The massive growth in the number of people listening to music, streaming video and watching catchup TV online means that there is no more a typical user of super fast internet connectivity.
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 high speed connectivity deal – preferably fibre optic for the best service .
Super-fast broadband is also ideal for fans of online console usage. This is because a faster connection gets rid of the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is called ping, which is often brought on by slower DSL 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 decide on a traditional 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