A broadband connection (ADSL) provides high-speed Internet access over a standard phone line. The advantage of a broadband connection over the older dialup service, is that Broadband is considerably faster, and is ‘always-on’, meaning that once you’re logged on, your PC is online until the PC is turned off again.
Broadband offers high-speed Internet access and allows telephone calls and a permanent Internet connection to share a single phone line simultaneously.
Broadband is a faster way of connecting your computer to the internet (compared to the traditional ‘dial-up’ method over the telephone line).
You can send and receive information at least 40 times quicker than you could before, pay a flat fee every month, and never have to worry about dialling up or disconnecting after set periods of time.
Unlike with dial-up internet, you can use your telephone for voice calls at the same time as being online. Basically, it’s the future, and it’s already happening!
ADSL versus cable
There are a few different types of broadband, but the main two are through ADSL or Cable.
ADSL transforms your standard BT phone line into a high speed internet connection and there are loads of ISPs that use this technology.
Cable broadband works by a dedicated cable being provided to your home from a cable provider like NTL or Telewest. Cable and digital TV channels are usually provided over the cable too. Not all areas are capable of receiving cable, but you can check if your home can by using our broadband comparison search. Some providers offer satellite access, but these are still limited and relatively expensive.
Broadband speed
There are also speeds to choose from and generally the faster speed you want, the more you’ll pay. 2Mb is standard nowadays but some services offer up to 24Mb. Broadband providers typically market their services as “up to XMb” as technically it is not possible to guarantee that speed 100% of the time. If you already have a broadband internet connection, you can get a rough idea of your current speed using a broadband speed test.
What are the benefits of having a broadband connection?
* Speed – your websites, emails, music and video files, messenger applications, and anything else you can think of will work at many times the speed you have on a dial-up connection.
* Always on – you get a permanent connection to the internet, which means that you never have to worry about switching it on or off. This means that you can use the internet even when you’re on the phone, or your computer can be downloading files even when you’re out or asleep.
* One flat rate – you pay a fixed amount every month for your connection and can use it as much as you like, generally without having to worry about the bill. But beware, some providers will charge you extra if you go over your monthly broadband limit. More about download limits later.
* Free up your phone line – because it is a separate connection, you can make and receive calls at all times no matter what you are doing on the internet. So no more people not being able to reach you on the phone because you’re online.
* New content and applications – broadband allows you to do stuff you could only dream of before high-speed internet. Listen to and download digital music from around the world, play online games, and watch high-resolution videos and higher quality radio. If you download voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) software such as Skype you can make free calls over the internet to people all around the world with the same software.