Who needs Super-fast Fibre Internet ?

Broadband has become much 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 every day.

Swettenham Heath Broadband Deals For April 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 we all would love 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 company has the chance to do what they want online– all simultaneously– with no annoying delays.

What is fast broadband?

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

Super-fast broadband connections enable users to go online , download music & video and stream television at speeds that are massively higher than most broadband users.

While the current average UK broadband connection is around 12Mbps (2014), high speed internet products deliver speeds of right up to 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic broadband networks specifically Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.

How does high speed connectivity operate?

Unlike most of UK internet connections, which use telephone lines, the UK’s fastest broadband 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 pipes used by traditional DSL connectivity .

BT also offers a right up to 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 not too distant future.

 

 

The likes of TalkTalk, Sky and EE have piggybacked on BT’s Infinity service to launch rebranded super fast cable broadband services of their own.

However, fast broadband 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 broadband provider’s exchange you can still get fast internet by signing up for selected ADSL2+ broadband services from the providers like O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.

ADSL2+

This form of connection 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 “to 16Mb”.

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

Which superfast internet 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 due to its super-fast fibre 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 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 copper to carry more data.

How do I get super-fast connectivity?

Your initial step is to decide which superfast broadband services are available at your exhaage. Check which products are available.

 

Advantages of high speed broadband connectivity

High speed internet can let you utilise all the video on demand on offer on-line. You’ll have the opportunity to download movies in a matter of minutes – allowing you view what you like, when you like it, and getting rid of the hanging around for enormous downloads.

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

Reduced latency means improved response times delivered by fibre broadband means that when online gaming you gain an one-upmanship over the opponents and can enjoy a better playing experience.

Disadvantages of super-fast internet connectivity

Speeds are never guaranteed as advertised (although are often very near) and based on things that are not within your control, like the quality of copper connectivity and the distance you live from the BT exchange . Even if super-fast broadband is on offer in your area , these limiting factors may yield little difference in performance for a much higher annual price.

Who is  high speed internet  for?

The massive growth in the number of people downloading music , streaming video and watching catchup 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 internet connectivity deal – preferably fibre optic for the best experience.

High speed broadband is also ideal for fans of online console usage. Due to the fact faster connectivity gets rid of the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is referred to as ping,  which is often  brought on by slower traditional 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 decide on a standard ADSL deal .

Swettenham Heath – Other Areas

Steel

High Birstwith

Round Ring

Askwith

Sibthorpe

Thorpe Green

Firhill

Brandon

Blackfordby

Culsalmond