The speed you get from your broadband connection will depend on the technology thats used to supply the service. Internet service providers promise super-fast speeds in their marketing campaigns, but do you truly need super-fast speeds? Higher speeds cost more money, and theres a fair chance that youll be able to conduct your internet activities with lower speeds. Apart from that, ISPs rarely deliver the types of speeds advertised. That said, if youre in search of the fastest broadband, there are some things you should know.
How To Find the Fastest Broadband
A number of speed test companies obtain permission from testers to collect and publish their speeds to their websites. These sites make it easy for users to locate the fastest broadband services based on tests carried out in their local areas. Use these sites to get an accurate representation of the speeds youll get when you sign up with specific broadband providers.
There is no better way apart from trying out the service to get the low down on the speeds offered by your local providers. Youll need to enter your postal code or choose the location of an exchange thats closest to you. An observation of UK speed test sites will reveal the true speeds offered by ISPs like BE, Sky, Virgin Media, Plusnet, TalkTalk and many others. Its a lot like asking your neighbours to try out their connections, so you can make the right choice.
The Type of Technology Determines the Speed
With ADSL standard, you can expect speeds of 6-10MBps. ADSL Plus delivers speeds of 16MBps under most circumstances. Since fibre optic connections do not have the obstructions associated with copper lines used in ADSL, these connections tend to have the fastest speeds. Your fibre optic broadband will have speeds in the region of 20-60MBps. Virgin Media promises super-fast speeds of 80MBps, and the speeds that are actually delivered are remarkably close to whats promised. Mobile broadband depends on the coverage type. A 4G connection will provide a maximum speed of 14-15MBps or 7-8MBps at minimum.
How Government Intervention Promotes Fast Internet Speeds
The UK Government has projected that 90 percent of the UK should have access to at least 24MBps broadband. According to the government, the rest of the population should have 2MBps at minimum. To meet their projections, the UK government has invested close to 2.5 billion to setup infrastructure for fibre optic cables. Industry experts believe that this initiative is unnecessary because the broadband speeds projected will be out of date by the time the roll out is complete.
Understand What Youre Paying For
Always examine the fair usage policy to determine what traffic management procedures and usage limits are imposed by the provider. Dont get sucked in by advertised rates and prices because these are not guaranteed. Visit speed test sites to see what speeds other users are getting with that provider. Narrow your options to two or three providers and decide based on a combination of speed and value
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Residential broadband services may have fast speeds, but that doesnt make it the best solution for your business. If you operate a business from home, there are benefits youll get from choosing business broadband. These benefits include faster upload speeds, dedicated customer service, stable connections, and prioritized bandwidth.
Fast internet is possible. Although the speeds you get are not always as advertised, the actual speeds are more than enough to conduct any Internet activity. Fibre optic connections are less likely to lose data, so they come really close to delivering whats promised. If your actual speeds are much lower than the speed you signed up for, you can contact your provider to make adjustments on your monthly rate.
Sam Jones likes to know whether he has the best broadband and regularly does a uSwitch broadband speed test.
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