Who needs High Speed Connections ?
Broadband has become much 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 amount of tablets, smartphones, laptops, desktops, games consoles and TV’s that each person has in their homes, seems to increase on a daily basis.
Whitehall Broadband Deals For November 2024
Sky Broadband Essential​
Unlimited Usage-
Average speed 11MBPS
-
ADSL Broadband
-
UNLIMITED Usage
Line Rental Included
There is no extra charge for line rental.
Guaranteed WiFi In Every Room
If you can't get WiFi in every room of your house then Sky will give you your money back.
Fast Installation + Keep Your Number
Get your new broadband installed super fast and you can keep your own number
Sky Broadband Superfast
Unlimited Usage-
Average speed 59MBPS
-
Fast Fibre Broadband
-
UNLIMITED Usage
Line Rental Included
There is no extra charge for line rental.
Guaranteed WiFi In Every Room
If you can't get WiFi in every room of your house then Sky will give you your money back.
Fast Installation + Keep Your Number
Get your new broadband installed super fast and you can keep your own number
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 would love 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 turned on concurrently. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or small company is able to do what they want online– all concurrently– with no annoying delays.
What is high speed broadband?
Super-fast broadband concerns broadband connections of as much as 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), super-fast broadband products deliver speeds of up to 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic cabled networks such as Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.
How does superfast connectivity operate?
Unlike most UK broadband connections, which use telephone lines, the UK’s quickest broadband 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 comprised of glass and plastic, which allows data to move much faster than along the copper cables used by traditional ADSL broadband .
BT also offers an as high as 76Mb fibre service called Infinity (you can get 300Mbps in some areas), and plans to make this available to millions more UK residence 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 products of their own.
However, fast internet is not only on offer to people in a fibre 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 internet by getting selected ADSL2+ internet services from the likes of O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.
ADSL2+
This type of connectivity uses the same cabling and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL internet connections, but thanks to the software and technology being used it can deliver speeds of as high as 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “almost 16Mb”.
Your speed depends, as always, on the quality of the wiring and the distance you are from the exchange, but if you reside in a city or built up location you can realistically expect speeds of up to 16Mb or more. This still provides more than enough bandwidth for heavy internet users, and at a smaller cost than cable.
Which superfast internet product is the best?
Among the UK’s fastest 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 with the help of its super-fast fibre broadband network.
BT’s Infinity package offers a maximum speed of 76Mbps and the previously mentioned 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 cabling to carry more data.
How do I get fibre optic connectivity?
Your start is to decide which superfast broadband services are available in your area . Check which products are available.
Benefits of super fast broadband connectivity
Super fast internet connectivity enables you to use all the music streaming available on the world wide web. You’ll manage to download movies in a matter of minutes – allowing you view what you like, when you demand it , and getting rid of the days of long waiting times for very large downloads.
Fans of on-demand programmes will love their best shows on the BBC iPlayer , together with rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without interruption .
Reduced ‘ping’ means improved response times delivered by fibre connectivity means that online gamers gain an one-upmanship over the competition and can enjoy a better gaming experience.
Disadvantages of FTTC broadband
Speeds are never guaranteed as advertised (although are often very close ) and based on things that are out of your control , like the age of copper connectivity and the distance you live from the exchange . Although super fast connectivity is on offer in your area , 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 range of people listening to music, streaming video and watching TV online means that there is no longer a typical user of fibre internet 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 high speed connectivity deal – preferably fibre optic for the best experience.
High speed internet connectivity is also ideal for fans of online gaming . This is because faster connectivity gets rid of the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is referred to as ping, which is often as a resulted of slower ADSL internet 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 prefer a standard ADSL deal .
Sky Broadband Essential​
Unlimited Usage-
Average speed 11MBPS
-
ADSL Broadband
-
UNLIMITED Usage
Line Rental Included
There is no extra charge for line rental.
Guaranteed WiFi In Every Room
If you can't get WiFi in every room of your house then Sky will give you your money back.
Fast Installation + Keep Your Number
Get your new broadband installed super fast and you can keep your own number
Sky Broadband Superfast
Unlimited Usage-
Average speed 59MBPS
-
Fast Fibre Broadband
-
UNLIMITED Usage
Line Rental Included
There is no extra charge for line rental.
Guaranteed WiFi In Every Room
If you can't get WiFi in every room of your house then Sky will give you your money back.
Fast Installation + Keep Your Number
Get your new broadband installed super fast and you can keep your own number