Who needs Super-fast Broadband Fibre Connections?
Broadband has become much more vital to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use every day that count on broadband connectivity seems to increase. The number of tablets, smartphones, laptops, desktops, games consoles and TV’s that each person has in their homes, seems to increase each day.
Sutton Grange Broadband Deals For November 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 most of us would like 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 turned on simultaneously. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or small company has the ability to do what they want online– all concurrently– without any annoying delays.
What is fast broadband?
Super-fast broadband describes broadband connections of more than 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 above most internet users.
While the current average UK broadband connection is around 12Mbps (2014), super-fast broadband products deliver speeds of up to 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic cabled networks which includes Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.
How does super-fast connectivity work ?
Unlike many of UK broadband 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 faster than along the copper cables used by traditional xDSL internet connectivity.
BT also offers an as high as 76Mb fibre-optic 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 internet is not only available to people in a fibre-optic 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+ internet services from the likes of O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.
ADSL2+
This form of connectivity uses the same wiring 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 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 inhabit a town or built up location you can realistically expect speeds of around 16Mb or more. This still provides ample bandwidth for heavy internet users, and at a smaller cost than cable.
Which super-fast broadband product is the best?
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 because of its super-fast fibre-optic 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 in line 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 cabling to carry more data.
How do I get super-fast broadband ?
Your initial step is to see which super-fast internet services are available to you . Check which products are available.
Advantages of super-fast broadband connectivity
Fast broadband lets you make the most of all the entertainment services on offer on the net. You’ll manage to download movies in a matter of minutes – allowing you view what you like, when you want it , and getting rid of the days of long waiting times for astronomical downloads.
Fans of on-demand TV will love their favourite shows on the Sky Now TV, along with 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 online gaming you gain a competitive advantage over the opponents and can enjoy a better playing experience.
Disadvantages of fibre connectivity
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 exchange . Despite the fact that super-fast connectivity is on offer in your location, these limiting factors may not bring many improvements in performance for a much higher monthly price .
Who is FTTC broadband for?
The massive growth in the number of people downloading music , downloading video and watching TV online means that there is no more a typical user of super-fast internet .
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 service – preferably fibre optic for the best experience.
Super-fast internet is also ideal for fans of online gaming . This is because a faster connection eliminates the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is known as ping, which is commonly triggered by slower DSL connectivity services . 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 select a standard ADSL service .
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