Who needs Superfast Connections ?
Broadband has become much more necessary to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use per day that rely upon 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 each day.
Rogiet 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 manage the simultaneous demands of downloading large files, streaming videos or music, with multiple devices and appliances signed on concurrently. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or company is able to do what they want online– all concurrently– without any 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 surf the internet, download music & video and stream television at speeds that are massively higher than most internet users.
While the current average UK internet connection is around 12Mbps (2014), high speed internet products deliver speeds of as high as 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic broadband networks especially Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.
How does superfast internet operate?
Unlike the majority of 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 standard xDSL 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 years to come.
The likes of TalkTalk, Sky and EE have piggybacked on BT’s Infinity service to launch rebranded high speed cable broadband products of their own.
However, fast internet 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 range of your internet provider’s exchange you can still get fast internet by signing up for selected ADSL2+ internet services from the likes of O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.
ADSL2+
This sort of connectivity uses the same cabling and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL phone-line connections, but as a result of the software and technology being used it can deliver speeds of almost 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “as high as 16Mb”.
Your speed depends, as always, on the quality of the wiring and the distance you are from the exchange, but if you inhabit a city or built up location you can realistically expect speeds of about 16Mb or more. This still provides sufficient bandwidth for heavy internet users, and at a smaller cost than cable.
Which super-fast internet product is the quickest ?
Among the UK’s fastest broadband 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 because of its superfast fibre-optic 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 optic network and feature headline speeds in accordance with 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 copper to carry more data.
How do I get fibre optic broadband ?
Your 1st step is to decide which super-fast internet services are available in your area . Check which products are available.
Advantages of fast internet
Fast broadband lets you make the most of all the entertainment available on-line. You will be able to watch movies in a within minutes – allowing you watch what you want , when you demand it , and getting rid of the days of long waiting times for huge downloads.
Fans of on-demand TV can enjoy their best shows on the Sky Now TV, along with rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without buffering.
Reduced latency means better response times delivered by high speed internet means that when online gaming you gain a competitive advantage over the competition and can enjoy a better playing experience.
Disadvantages of FTTC broadband
Speeds are never guaranteed as advertised (although are often very near) and based upon things that are out of your control , like the age of copper connectivity and the distance you live from the exchange . Even if high speed broadband is available in your area , these limiting factors may not bring many benefits in speed for a much higher monthly cost .
Who is high speed internet connectivity for?
The massive growth in the number of people downloading music , video and watching catchup TV online means that there is no longer a typical user of super fast 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 super-fast internet connectivity product – preferably fibre optic for the best service .
Super-fast internet 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 known as ping, which is commonly as a resulted of slower DSL internet 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 prefer a standard ADSL deal .
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