Getting started with Broadband

What is broadband?

It is difficult to find two people who will agree on a precise definition of broadband, but in general terms it refers to a high speed connection to the internet. High speed typically means a rate of data download that is greater than a dialup modem (64 kbps). 

Benefits of broadband

Broadband internet access has many advantages over a dialup connection:

• Faster internet access. One of the main reasons for moving to broadband will be the increased download speeds that it offers. With a dramatically increasing amount of music, video and games available on the internet, download times can be significantly reduced with a broadband connection. Upload speeds are improved too - if you need to upload contents to a web site, transmission times will be slashed. Players of online games will also benefit greatly from reduced ping times.
• Always on connection. Connection to the internet becomes almost instantaneous with broadband with no need to wait for the dial up process to complete.
• Freed up telephone line. With your existing telephone line used simultaneously for voice calls and broadband access, you can talk on the phone and surf the internet at the same time. 

Types of broadband

Broadband internet access can be delivered into the home in numerous ways and which  services are available will depend on your precise location. Although most consumers will be able to obtain broadband service via their telephone line or cable TV service, others might have to choose satellite or WLAN solutions. 

Restrictions to look out for

With the great benefits listed above, don't rush into purchasing broadband without considering the restructions that might apply in your particular circumstances.

• Availability. Broadband access is, unfortunately, not universally available. If you are thinking of broadband via your telephone landline check first that your exchange is broadband enabled. If not, then you will have to consider cable or satellite solution. 
• Set up charges. Apart from the monthly subscription charge, do other fees apply when you sign up for broadband? Generally your provider will incur costs to have your broadband connection at your local exchange activated, and they may pass some or all of this cost on to you.
• Hardware costs. When enabling your PC for broadband access, you will require certain additiona hardware, some or all of which can be obtained from your broadband provider. Find out what those costs are - some service providers will offer free or reduced price modems as part of a sign up package. In addition, broadband equipment can now be purchased from a wide range of  suppliers; check to see if your service provider is offering a good price for the hardware components, or if you could purchase individual components more cheaply elsewhere.  
• Minimum contract period. Read the Terms and Conditions of each potential service provider very carefully. Once you've signed up, if you experience ongoing difficulties, you don't want to be locked into a long term contract, or one with exhorbitant exit fees.
• Bandwidth limits. Some broadband providers offer extremely low cost monthly charges, in some cases because download limits are applied. Try to estimate how much data your are likely to download each month. What might appear a very attractively price offer initially, might quickly lead to disappointment as top up charges add to the costs. 
• Contention. The connectivity that you will have to your home is typically a contented service; this means that the bandwidth is shared between multiple users. For home services this is usually 50 users sharing the bandwidth. Normally, not all those users will be consuming the entire bandwidth at any one time, and the contention is not noticed. However, in certain areas, contention may become a constraint on the download speeds you can achieve.

Recommended Broadband Service Providers

A full rundown of the access providers can be found on the providers page; however, for those starting out with broadband, we recommend the following entry level packages:

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