Who needs Superfast Fibre Connectivity ?
Broadband has become increasingly more important to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use per day that depend on broadband connectivity seems to increase. The range of tablets, smartphones, laptops, desktops, games consoles and TV’s that everyone has in their homes, seems to increase every day.
St. Erme Broadband Deals For March 2024
[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 would love 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 all at once. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or business has the ability to do what they want online– all simultaneously– with no annoying delays.
What is fast broadband?
Super-fast broadband relates to broadband connections of right up to 300Mbps in the UK.
Super-fast broadband connections enable users to go online , stream music & video and stream television at speeds that are massively more than most broadband users.
While the current average UK broadband connection is around 12Mbps (2014), superfast broadband products deliver speeds of right up to 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic cabled networks specifically Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.
How does fibre connectivity work ?
Unlike many UK internet connections, which use telephone lines, the UK’s quickest internet 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 composed of glass and plastic, which allows data to move much quicker than along the copper pipes used by standard DSL internet .
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 homes 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 registering for selected ADSL2+ broadband packages from the companies like O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.
ADSL2+
This form of connectivity uses the same cables and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL phone-line connections, but due to the software and technology being used it can deliver speeds of as high as 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “approximately 16Mb”.
Your speed depends, as always, on the quality of the copper and the distance you are from the exchange, but if you live in a city or built up area you can realistically expect speeds of as high as 16Mb or more. This still provides sufficient bandwidth for heavy internet users, and at a smaller cost than cable.
Which high speed broadband product is the quickest ?
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 as a result of its super-fast fibre broadband 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.
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 fast broadband ?
Your first step is to see which highspeed broadband services are available at your exhaage. Check which types of connectivity are available.
Advantages of super-fast internet
Super-fast internet enables you to utilise all the video on demand on offer online. You’ll manage to watch movies in a in a few minutes – allowing you consume what you like, when you want it , and banishing the days of long waiting times for astronomical downloads.
Fans of on-demand show can enjoy 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 when playing game online you a competitive advantage over the competition and can enjoy a better playing experience.
Disadvantages of high speed internet
Speeds are never guaranteed as advertised (although are often very near) and based on things that are out of your control , like the age of wiring and the distance you live from the cabinet . Even though high speed internet is available in your area , these limiting factors may yield little difference in performance for a much higher annual price.
Who is fibre internet for?
The massive growth in the range of people listening to music, downloading video and watching TV online means that there is no more a typical user of high speed 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 broadband product – preferably fibre optic for the best service .
Super fast internet connectivity is also ideal for fans of online gaming . This is because faster connectivity eliminates the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is referred to as ping, which is commonly caused by slower ADSL connectivity products . This can seriously ruin your online gaming experience .
If you only use the internet for checking your e-mail and for the occasional search, it’s more prudent to choose a standard ADSL deal .
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