The amount of advertising jargon and technical lingo that is attached to the broadband industry can be completely baffling if you are a newcomer taking their first tentative steps onto the faster route to the information superhighway. If this sounds like you, then consider this guide a suitable companion to help make your journey a little less taxing.
Broadband is an umbrella term which applies to a variety of technologies, but it basically refers to a high speed internet connection that is faster than the older dial-up options that came before it. Broadband is defined by its download and upload speeds and although opinions tend to differ over what constitutes a broadband connection, it is safe to say that anything over 256Kbps is suitably faster than dial-up to be called broadband. If you do not understand download and upload speeds, do not worry, as we shall get onto them a little later.
Broadband can also be defined as an ‘always on’ internet connection. Rather than requiring the user to initiate the connection each time that they want to get online, a connected PC should simply have the internet open to it at all times using a broadband connection. So broadband has two distinct advantages over dial-up: considerably faster connection speeds and an always-on level of availability. These two are just the keystones of broadband from which a whole range of possibilities are supported.
ADSL Broadband
There are three main types of broadband on the market to the consumers; ADSL, Cable and mobile broadband. We shall deal with each in turn, starting with ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line). ADSL uses existing copper telephone landline connections to provide broadband internet access and because the telephone networks around the nation have been established for years and because many houses already have a phone line, this is the most common type of broadband in the UK. To access ADSL broadband you will need to plug a device called a router into your telephone socket, but because the broadband signal is digital, it will not interfere with your landline telephone service, allowing the two to operate simultaneously without disconnection. ADSL has a few limitations, the largest of which is the divergence between the maximum download speeds advertised by providers and those which customers will be able to achieve in their homes. This is because the copper wiring used in the standard connections will result in a weaker signal, particularly if your home is a long way from your local telephone exchange. As such the speed of ADSL varies wildly across the country. DSL is a variant of ADSL for which the download and upload speeds are almost identical, which differs from ADSL because here download is greatly privileged over upload to provide the best experience for consumers.
Cable Broadband
Cable Broadband is the alternative landline broadband option, although it is available in fewer areas than ADSL because the underground cable networks are less developed than the overhead telephone systems. Cable broadband uses fibre optic technology, which is far better than copper wire at transmitting data over long distances. As such you can get much faster download speeds using cable broadband than ADSL and fibre optic technology is becoming a bigger part of all broadband in the future.
Mobile Broadband
Mobile broadband is the newest of the broadband options and it requires no landline connection or line rental whatsoever, as it uses the 3G cellular networks which supply smartphones with connectivity as well. For computer users looking to get online when they are out and about, mobile broadband is an excellent choice, as coverage around the key regions is always extensive and you can opt for a pay monthly deal, or only pay for what you use. The only device you will need to get online using mobile broadband is a USB dongle, which most providers supply when you sign up. Slipping the dongle into your laptop and getting the connection set up is easy, but download speeds and coverage levels are again dependent on the provider you choose.
Internet Service Providers
So far we have talked about ‘providers’, although these are sometimes referred to as an ‘ISP’, which stands for ‘internet service provider’. An ISP will give you the equipment and the connection necessary to start enjoying broadband. For ADSL and mobile broadband there are multiple major providers all competing for your attention, but the Cable broadband market is more restricted, with only two or three providers offering consumer cable broadband products at the moment.
Download Limit
Every broadband package will have a download limit and an advertised maximum download speed. A download limit, which is sometimes referred to as a data allowance or a monthly usage limit, basically dictates how frequently and for what purpose you can use your broadband connection. Mobile broadband deals are typically hit with the strictest and smallest download allowances, although cheap ADSL and Cable packages could have similar restrictions. Download allowances are typically measured in gigabytes (GB) which is the equivalent of one thousand megabytes. To put this in perspective, a standard definition film can take up about 0.7GB, whilst an email will be a fraction of a megabyte. Many packages offer ‘unlimited’ downloads, although usually there is a fair use policy which requires the user to ease off on the downloading during the evenings in order to provide everyone with a better online experience.
Download Speed
Connection speeds in broadband are typically measured in Mbps, which stands for megabits per second. Some adverts will use the term ‘meg’ to represent the same meaning. Standard ADSL connections offer download speeds of a maximum of 8Mbps, which will let you download a song in a little over six seconds. New ADSL technology allows 24Mbps connections in certain areas, whilst Cable broadband can offer up to 50Mbps speeds on the most expensive packages. In order to determine how fast you need your broadband connection to be, you will have to consider the types of activities which it will be used for. If you are just going to be checking emails, browsing informational pages and perhaps messaging your friends, then speed is not your biggest concern and shelling out for a faster package will be a waste. However, if you want to stream video, upload pictures, make calls, play games and download large files, then speed will be a bigger concern. Your potential download speed will also be limited by where you live, so the choice may not entirely be in your hands. However, most providers will give you a rough estimate of how fast your connection will be if you pick them, so you can get a good look at what is on offer before you buy.
For more information about what Broadband is and how to use it, see this Broadband Guide by the BBC which is really helpful.