Who needs Superfast Internet ?
Broadband has become increasingly more essential to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use every single day that bank 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 each day.
Weston in Arden 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 being stuck in commuter traffic, something that we all need to avoid.
Quite simply, traditional broadband connections often struggle to deal with the simultaneous demands of downloading large files, streaming videos or music, with multiple devices and appliances turned on concurrently. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or small business has the ability to do what they want online– all simultaneously– with no 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 go online , download music & video and stream television at speeds that are massively above most broadband 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 including Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.
How does superfast internet work ?
Unlike many UK broadband connections, which use telephone lines, the UK’s fastest 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 made up of glass and plastic, which allows data to move much faster than along the copper cables used by standard xDSL broadband .
BT also offers a more than 76Mb fibre-optic 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 future .
The likes of TalkTalk, Sky and EE have used BT’s Infinity service to launch rebranded super fast cable broadband products of their own.
However, fast broadband 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 broadband provider’s exchange you can still get fast internet by subscribing to selected ADSL2+ broadband packages from the providers like O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.
ADSL2+
This sort of connection uses the same cabling and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL broadband connections, but as a result of the software and technology used it can deliver speeds of about 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “around 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 town or built up area you can realistically expect speeds of right up to 16Mb or more. This still provides sufficient bandwidth for heavy internet users, and at a smaller cost than cable.
Which superfast 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 with the help of its super-fast fibre-optic broadband 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 optic network and feature headline speeds in line 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 fast connectivity?
Your start is to decide which super-fast internet services are available at your exhaage. Check which types of connectivity are available.
Benefits of fast internet
Super-fast internet connectivity empowers you to use all the video on demand on offer on the world wide web. You will have the ability to watch movies in a within minutes – allowing you view what you like, when you want it , and banishing the hanging around for huge downloads.
Fans of on-demand programmes can enjoy their best shows on the Sky Now TV, along with rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without interruption .
Reduced latency means better response times delivered by fibre connectivity means that online gamers gain a competitive advantage over the competition and can enjoy a better more enjoyable experience.
Disadvantages of fibre internet connectivity
Speeds are never guaranteed as advertised (although are often very close ) and rely on things that are not within your control, like the age of copper connectivity and the distance you live from the BT exchange . Whether or not super-fast internet is on offer in your location, these limiting factors may not bring many improvements in performance for a much higher annual price.
Who is high speed internet for?
The massive growth in the quantity of people listening to music, video and watching catchup TV online means that there is no longer a typical user of high speed broadband .
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 good sense to subscribe to a fibre broadband deal – preferably fibre optic for the very best service.
Super fast connectivity is also ideal for fans of online games . This is because faster connectivity eliminates the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is referred to as ping, which is commonly as a resulted of slower DSL internet connectivity 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 go for a standard ADSL connection.
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