Who needs Superfast FTTC Internet?

Broadband has become more and more essential to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use every day that utilise 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.

Sageston Broadband Deals For October 2024

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 handle 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 local business has the chance to do what they want online– all at the same time– without any annoying delays.

What is high speed broadband?

Super-fast broadband refers to broadband connections of approximately 300Mbps in the UK.

Super-fast broadband connections enable users to connect to 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 internet products deliver speeds of more than 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic cabled networks which includes Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.

How does superfast broadband operate?

Unlike most UK broadband connections, which use telephone 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 made up of glass and plastic, which allows data to move much faster than along the copper cables used by traditional ADSL internet connectivity.

BT also offers an as high as 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 near 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 exclusively on offer to people in a fibre-optic 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 broadband provider’s exchange you can still get fast broadband by getting selected ADSL2+ broadband packages from the likes of O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.

ADSL2+

This form of connection uses the same cables and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL internet connections, but thanks to the software and technology used it can deliver speeds of around 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “about 16Mb”.

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

Which superfast connectivity product is the best?

Among the UK’s fastest 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 super-fast fibre-optic connectivity network.

BT’s Infinity package offers 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 copper to carry more data.

How do I get superfast connectivity?

Your 1st step is to decide which high speed broadband services are available to you . Check which service are available.

 

Benefits of high bandwidth broadband

Fast internet empowers you to enjoy all the entertainment available on the net. You’ll manage to watch movies in a in a few minutes – allowing you consume what you want , when you want it , and getting rid of the hanging around for large downloads.

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

Reduced latency means better response times delivered by super fast internet means that when online gaming you gain a competitive advantage over the opponents and can enjoy a better playing experience.

Disadvantages of super-fast internet

Speeds are never guaranteed as advertised (although are often very close ) and rely on things that are out of your control , like the quality of wiring and the distance you live from the green box. Even when fibre internet is on offer in your location, these limiting factors may not bring many improvements in performance for a much higher cost .

Who is  FTTC internet connectivity for?

The massive growth in the range of people downloading music , streaming video and watching TV online means that there is no longer 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 sense to sign up for a fibre internet connectivity service – preferably fibre optic for the best service.

Fibre internet connectivity is also ideal for fans of online games . 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 ADSL broadband products. 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 standard ADSL service .

Sageston – Other Areas

Skidbrooke

Aird, The

Holmhead

Light Oaks

Chigwell

West Green

Wyfordby

Stanborough

Weston Lullingfields

Llandaff