Who needs Superfast Broadband Connections ?

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

Pentrefelin Broadband Deals For March 2025

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 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 logged on at the same time. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or small business has the opportunity to do what they want online– all concurrently– without any annoying delays.

What is quick broadband?

Super-fast broadband describes 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 greater than most internet users.

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

How does superfast internet work ?

Unlike the majority of UK broadband connections, which use telephone 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 made up of glass and plastic, which allows data to move much quicker than along the copper pipes used by standard xDSL internet connectivity.

BT also offers a to 76Mb fibre service called BT 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 resold BT’s Infinity service to launch rebranded high speed 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 range of your broadband provider’s exchange you can still get fast internet by registering for selected ADSL2+ internet packages from the providers like O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.

ADSL2+

This style of connection uses the same wiring and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL phone-line connections, but because of the software and technology used it can deliver speeds of approximately 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “right up to 16Mb”.

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

Which super-fast connectivity product is the fastest?

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 with the help of its super-fast fibre connectivity 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 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 super-fast broadband ?

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

 

Advantages of super-fast broadband

High speed internet connectivity enables you to utilise all the video on demand on offer on the internet. You’ll have the opportunity to watch movies in a matter of minutes – allowing you view what you want , when you like it, and getting rid of the days of long waiting times for big downloads.

Fans of on-demand show will love their favourite shows on the BBC iPlayer , besides rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without interruption .

Reduced ‘ping’ means improved response times delivered by super-fast connectivity means that online gamers gain a competitive advantage over the opposition and can enjoy a better more enjoyable experience.

Disadvantages of high speed connectivity

Speeds are never guaranteed as advertised (although are often very close ) and based on things that are out of your control , like the quality of copper connectivity and the distance you live from the exchange . Even when super fast internet connectivity is available in your area , these limiting factors may not bring many benefits in performance for a much higher price .

Who is  FTTC broadband  for?

The massive growth in the quantity of people listening to music, streaming video and watching TV online means that there is no more a typical user of super fast 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 sign up for a high speed connectivity service – preferably fibre optic for the very best service.

High speed internet is also ideal for fans of online games . This is because a faster connection eliminates the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is called ping,  which is often  caused by slower ADSL broadband 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 .

Pentrefelin – Other Areas

Long Duckmanton

Hunsterson

West Layton

Church Norton

Magor/Magwr

Yarningale Common

Cock Green

High Littleton

West Tullos Industrial Estate

Bugford