Who needs Superfast Broadband FTTC ?
Broadband has become more and more important to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use each day that rely upon 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 each day.
North Wingfield 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 all of us wish to avoid.
Quite simply, traditional broadband connections often struggle to deal 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 local business is able to do what they want online– all at the same time– with no annoying delays.
What is fast broadband?
Super-fast broadband refers to broadband connections of as high as 300Mbps in the UK.
Super-fast broadband connections enable users to go online , stream music & video and stream television at speeds that are massively above 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 especially Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.
How does super-fast connectivity operate?
Unlike many of UK internet connections, which use telephony lines, the UK’s fastest 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 quicker than along the copper cables used by standard DSL broadband .
BT also offers a to 76Mb fibre service called 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 internet is not exclusively 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 range of your internet provider’s exchange you can still get fast broadband by registering 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 internet connections, but thanks to the software and technology used it can deliver speeds of about 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “approximately 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 location you can realistically expect speeds of about 16Mb or more. This still provides ample bandwidth for heavy internet users, and at a smaller cost than cable.
Which superfast internet product is the quickest ?
Among the UK’s quickest 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 as a result of 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 network and feature headline speeds in accordance 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 cabling to carry more data.
How do I get superfast broadband ?
Your first step is to see which high speed broadband services are available in your area . Check which products are available.
Benefits of super fast broadband
Super fast internet empowers you to take advantage of all the music streaming available on the web. You will have the opportunity to watch movies in a within minutes – allowing you view what you like, when you like it, and getting rid of the days of long waiting times for large downloads.
Fans of on-demand show can enjoy their favourite shows on the BBC iPlayer , and even rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without buffering.
Reduced ‘ping’ means move favourable response times delivered by high speed internet means that when online gaming you gain an one-upmanship over the opponents and can enjoy a better gaming experience.
Disadvantages of super-fast connectivity
Speeds are never 100% 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 exchange . Even if fibre broadband is available in your area , these limiting factors may not bring many benefits in performance for a much higher monthly cost .
Who is super-fast broadband for?
The massive growth in the amount of people listening to music, streaming video and watching TV online means that there is no more a typical user of fibre internet connectivity.
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 good sense to subscribe to a fibre internet service – preferably fibre optic for the greatest service.
High speed connectivity 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 commonly caused by slower DSL internet connectivity products . 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 favour a traditional ADSL service .
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