Caroline Telford asked:
Do you like the idea of downloading an entire music album in less then 11 seconds? Or do you want to grab an 800 megabyte high definition movie file in just 3 minutes? If you answered yes to both, then Virgin Media has a ready solution for you.
The powerhouse UK cable company is offering an astonishing 50 MB broadband connection for all UK households. This is the fastest net speed in the history of UK and is considered as the next generation service for 2009.
Talk of Virgin’s 50 MB high speed connectivity plan has been circulating throughout the Internet. Naturally, this created a buzz in the online world especially with British tech bloggers and news sites.
Last December 2008, Virgin Media announced that it will unveil the fastest broadband service for the general public in the year 2009. This will put the UK cable company at the top of the list of the fastest ISPs in the entire country. Virgin started trial testing the service last year on several households in Kent.
Different Plans for More Flexible Service
Virgin Media is offering different broadband service plans for UK households. According to the company, such flexibility of service will allow UK consumers to choose which plan would be best for them.
First, you can avail of the triple play service which is actually a bundled plan consisting of a dedicated landline subscription, 50 MB broadband service, and cable TV service. The triple play plan will cost 66 Pounds per month.
According to the company, such bundled service plan is ideal for new subscribers and households that want to share several broadband connections. The ultra fast Internet connection will be able to handle multiple users on a single router without significant degeneration of connection speeds.
Consumers can also opt to avail of broadband-only service if they do not want to take the cable TV and landline services. This service will cost 55 Pounds per month. Virgin media said such plan would be ideal for educational institutions with several computer consoles sharing a connection.
With the 50 MB superfast broadband connection, an entire computer laboratory will be able to enjoy high speed Internet service for every user.
Internet Infrastructure Issues that Face Virgin’s High Speed Service
Virgin Media is a reliable provider of high speed Internet connection for many years already. Customers have been satisfied by the quality of service and reliable Internet connection provided by the cable company.
The biggest issue facing the ultra high speed broadband plan is the Internet infrastructure of UK. Some technology analysts contend that most telephone lines on UK still use copper wiring. Such telephone technology will not be able to handle fast connections and might result to quality of service issues.
UK communication regulators said that it will take 15 billion Pounds to upgrade the public telephone system. Government regulators however are optimistic that such upgrade would benefit the country in the long term.
For now, Virgin’s 50 MB broadband service can only be enjoyed by 16 million British households. Government officials and company executives agree that high speed connectivity would be socially and economically beneficial for the entire country.
Do you like the idea of downloading an entire music album in less then 11 seconds? Or do you want to grab an 800 megabyte high definition movie file in just 3 minutes? If you answered yes to both, then Virgin Media has a ready solution for you.
The powerhouse UK cable company is offering an astonishing 50 MB broadband connection for all UK households. This is the fastest net speed in the history of UK and is considered as the next generation service for 2009.
Talk of Virgin’s 50 MB high speed connectivity plan has been circulating throughout the Internet. Naturally, this created a buzz in the online world especially with British tech bloggers and news sites.
Last December 2008, Virgin Media announced that it will unveil the fastest broadband service for the general public in the year 2009. This will put the UK cable company at the top of the list of the fastest ISPs in the entire country. Virgin started trial testing the service last year on several households in Kent.
Different Plans for More Flexible Service
Virgin Media is offering different broadband service plans for UK households. According to the company, such flexibility of service will allow UK consumers to choose which plan would be best for them.
First, you can avail of the triple play service which is actually a bundled plan consisting of a dedicated landline subscription, 50 MB broadband service, and cable TV service. The triple play plan will cost 66 Pounds per month.
According to the company, such bundled service plan is ideal for new subscribers and households that want to share several broadband connections. The ultra fast Internet connection will be able to handle multiple users on a single router without significant degeneration of connection speeds.
Consumers can also opt to avail of broadband-only service if they do not want to take the cable TV and landline services. This service will cost 55 Pounds per month. Virgin media said such plan would be ideal for educational institutions with several computer consoles sharing a connection.
With the 50 MB superfast broadband connection, an entire computer laboratory will be able to enjoy high speed Internet service for every user.
Internet Infrastructure Issues that Face Virgin’s High Speed Service
Virgin Media is a reliable provider of high speed Internet connection for many years already. Customers have been satisfied by the quality of service and reliable Internet connection provided by the cable company.
The biggest issue facing the ultra high speed broadband plan is the Internet infrastructure of UK. Some technology analysts contend that most telephone lines on UK still use copper wiring. Such telephone technology will not be able to handle fast connections and might result to quality of service issues.
UK communication regulators said that it will take 15 billion Pounds to upgrade the public telephone system. Government regulators however are optimistic that such upgrade would benefit the country in the long term.
For now, Virgin’s 50 MB broadband service can only be enjoyed by 16 million British households. Government officials and company executives agree that high speed connectivity would be socially and economically beneficial for the entire country.
Shirley Stevens asked:
Are you toying with the idea of a change from your fixed line broadband to mobile broadband? Do you know enough about the difference between the two to be able to make a sound judgement call?
In this article we aim to make it easier for you to decide by comparing such things as speed, reliability, cost, downloading options and ease of access.
Which is better for broadband speed?
Mobile broadband speeds depend on the accessibility of 3G mobile network coverage.
The speed of landline broadband connections, on the other hand, mostly hinges on how far you live from your local exchange.
Mobile broadband speeds currently range between 1.8Mbps and 7.2Mbps. These speeds are very competitive with some landline broadband connections but vary considerably, dependent upon the network being used and the coverage footprint.
As with landline broadband, you cannot set too much store by advertised speeds and mobile broadband connections become far slower outside the 3G coverage areas.
If your present fixed line broadband connection is faster than 5 or 6 Mbps, it is doubtful at the moment whether you would be able to improve on that with a similar mobile broadband connection.
Which is cheaper?
At the bottom end of the mobile broadband deals range, prices start from £10 a month for Three Mobile’s basic package with its 1GB limit, comparing favourably with several budget land line broadband packages.
At the other end of the spectrum, mobile broadband is for the most part more expensive than say a typical fixed line broadband provider like Virgin Media broadband, which offers a broadband, TV and phone bundle for £30 a month.
Which is best for downloading?
If you are a prolific downloader, landline broadband should definitely be the broadband of your choice.
Mobile broadband connections at present have relatively small monthly usage limits and restrict users to little more than checking emails, some surfing and perhaps watching a few YouTube clips.
You would have to be careful not to incur too many additional charges when watching your favourite weekly programmes on BBC iPlayer, as a single one of these might take up as much as 10% of a 3GB monthly download limit.
If that is a bit of a turn-off, the good news is that T-Mobile mobile broadband, one of the mobile broadband providers, doesn’t penalise anyone who exceeds their monthly limit, though it does come with a ‘reasonable use’ stipulation.
So where does this leave us?
At present, a mobile broadband connection is invaluable for anyone who needs internet access when they are away from home or beyond hotspots.
The time will undoubtedly come when mobile broadband connections are used in every home in the UK, though whether as the main form of web access or as a backup is uncertain at present.
It’s easy to see why it is thought that mobile broadband users will eventually exceed landline ones, though the jury is still out on whether landline connections will be replaced altogether.
The final word on this subject, and what can confidently be predicted, is that the number of mobile broadband customers will without a doubt increase, suggesting that the mobile broadband market will eventually become as widespread and indispensable as the landline broadband market is right now.
Are you toying with the idea of a change from your fixed line broadband to mobile broadband? Do you know enough about the difference between the two to be able to make a sound judgement call?
In this article we aim to make it easier for you to decide by comparing such things as speed, reliability, cost, downloading options and ease of access.
Which is better for broadband speed?
Mobile broadband speeds depend on the accessibility of 3G mobile network coverage.
The speed of landline broadband connections, on the other hand, mostly hinges on how far you live from your local exchange.
Mobile broadband speeds currently range between 1.8Mbps and 7.2Mbps. These speeds are very competitive with some landline broadband connections but vary considerably, dependent upon the network being used and the coverage footprint.
As with landline broadband, you cannot set too much store by advertised speeds and mobile broadband connections become far slower outside the 3G coverage areas.
If your present fixed line broadband connection is faster than 5 or 6 Mbps, it is doubtful at the moment whether you would be able to improve on that with a similar mobile broadband connection.
Which is cheaper?
At the bottom end of the mobile broadband deals range, prices start from £10 a month for Three Mobile’s basic package with its 1GB limit, comparing favourably with several budget land line broadband packages.
At the other end of the spectrum, mobile broadband is for the most part more expensive than say a typical fixed line broadband provider like Virgin Media broadband, which offers a broadband, TV and phone bundle for £30 a month.
Which is best for downloading?
If you are a prolific downloader, landline broadband should definitely be the broadband of your choice.
Mobile broadband connections at present have relatively small monthly usage limits and restrict users to little more than checking emails, some surfing and perhaps watching a few YouTube clips.
You would have to be careful not to incur too many additional charges when watching your favourite weekly programmes on BBC iPlayer, as a single one of these might take up as much as 10% of a 3GB monthly download limit.
If that is a bit of a turn-off, the good news is that T-Mobile mobile broadband, one of the mobile broadband providers, doesn’t penalise anyone who exceeds their monthly limit, though it does come with a ‘reasonable use’ stipulation.
So where does this leave us?
At present, a mobile broadband connection is invaluable for anyone who needs internet access when they are away from home or beyond hotspots.
The time will undoubtedly come when mobile broadband connections are used in every home in the UK, though whether as the main form of web access or as a backup is uncertain at present.
It’s easy to see why it is thought that mobile broadband users will eventually exceed landline ones, though the jury is still out on whether landline connections will be replaced altogether.
The final word on this subject, and what can confidently be predicted, is that the number of mobile broadband customers will without a doubt increase, suggesting that the mobile broadband market will eventually become as widespread and indispensable as the landline broadband market is right now.
Matt Sharp asked:
Internet is becoming indispensable for our lives day by day. Today people are more comfortable doing things online–from buying to selling, reading books to booking airline tickets and playing games to listening music. So, nowadays an internet connection is almost inevitable in every household.
Among various types of Internet services the Broadband or the high-speed internet access is one of the most widely preferred internet connections. For the first time users, it really makes sense to go for Broadband right from the beginning, because the entry-level broadband service packages are cheap and better than the dial-up alternative. But, with so many service providers offering broadband services it is quite confusing to select the best broadband service deal that suit the needs as well as economic standings of everyone. For finding the best package it is better to go for a Broadband price comparison site as there is no shortage of Broadband price comparison sites in the Internet. In these broadband price comparison sites people can find out the best and cheap deals, compare prices and select the best broadband provider to meet his needs. While selecting a broadband connection one should also look in to the availability of the connection in that area, the benefits associated with it, speed factor and whether he needs a asymmetric digital subscriber line, standalone broadband or TV, phone and even mobile broadband connection. Various broadband providers in the UK, like Sky, Virgin Media, BT Total Broadband, TalkTalk, Pipex, Tiscali, Orange, Easyspace, AOL, PlusNet, Be, Toucan, Eclipse, Fasthosts, and Demon provide a wide range of packages featuring cashback options free gifts and download etc., along with its broadband packages.
With enough options available in the market it is really confusing to select the best broadband that suits the need of the people. Some broadband providers in UK also offer bt total broadband services for free with various upgrading choices in future. It is not easy to go to various providers to analyse the quotes of different types of broadband connections offered by different broadband service providers. So, instead of making hazy decisions one should compare the prices through a broadband price comparison portal which offers detailed information about broadband services. A number of broadband price comparison sites also help customers in signing new broadband connections, give independent and expert advice to anyone who wants to upgrade their connection and perform live availability check for the postcode area.
So it is always easy and convenient to compare the broadband services in the broadband price comparison websites and find out a cost effective bt total broadband service in a less time.
bt total broadband, bt total broadband
Internet is becoming indispensable for our lives day by day. Today people are more comfortable doing things online–from buying to selling, reading books to booking airline tickets and playing games to listening music. So, nowadays an internet connection is almost inevitable in every household.
Among various types of Internet services the Broadband or the high-speed internet access is one of the most widely preferred internet connections. For the first time users, it really makes sense to go for Broadband right from the beginning, because the entry-level broadband service packages are cheap and better than the dial-up alternative. But, with so many service providers offering broadband services it is quite confusing to select the best broadband service deal that suit the needs as well as economic standings of everyone. For finding the best package it is better to go for a Broadband price comparison site as there is no shortage of Broadband price comparison sites in the Internet. In these broadband price comparison sites people can find out the best and cheap deals, compare prices and select the best broadband provider to meet his needs. While selecting a broadband connection one should also look in to the availability of the connection in that area, the benefits associated with it, speed factor and whether he needs a asymmetric digital subscriber line, standalone broadband or TV, phone and even mobile broadband connection. Various broadband providers in the UK, like Sky, Virgin Media, BT Total Broadband, TalkTalk, Pipex, Tiscali, Orange, Easyspace, AOL, PlusNet, Be, Toucan, Eclipse, Fasthosts, and Demon provide a wide range of packages featuring cashback options free gifts and download etc., along with its broadband packages.
With enough options available in the market it is really confusing to select the best broadband that suits the need of the people. Some broadband providers in UK also offer bt total broadband services for free with various upgrading choices in future. It is not easy to go to various providers to analyse the quotes of different types of broadband connections offered by different broadband service providers. So, instead of making hazy decisions one should compare the prices through a broadband price comparison portal which offers detailed information about broadband services. A number of broadband price comparison sites also help customers in signing new broadband connections, give independent and expert advice to anyone who wants to upgrade their connection and perform live availability check for the postcode area.
So it is always easy and convenient to compare the broadband services in the broadband price comparison websites and find out a cost effective bt total broadband service in a less time.
bt total broadband, bt total broadband
Shirley Stevens asked:
Are you finding the comparison of broadband packages and range of speeds bewildering to say the least? Does confusion reign? Don’t reach for the tablets just yet.
I have defined the most important points you should bear in mind when comparing the wide range of broadband speeds on offer through a broadband comparison site like ChooseISP.co.uk, which allows you to compare broadband speeds of all the main UK broadband providers.
The five points below will help you to ultimately make the most suitable choice of broadband package in the easiest and fastest way possible. To coin a phrase, it will be easier than falling off a log.
Here is a 5-point check list for you to run through before making any firm decisions.
Once you have gone through it, you should have no trouble at all in making your decision about which high-speed broadband package you should choose, especially with the help of a broadband comparison table.
1. Amount of Usage
The first thing to look at, before you start comparing broadband speeds, is to decide how much you will use your broadband and for what purpose you intend using it.
For instance, if your use of the internet is considerable you should preferably choose a faster broadband connection with no download limits.
However, if you are not often online a cheaper but slower broadband connection might be preferable, even if it is possibly a bit more limited.
2. Cable or ADSL?
Where you live can have a marked influence on the speed of your broadband connection. Yes, it is definitely a case of location, location, location as the property Phil & Kirsty would have it.
Do you live in a cable area? If you do, then you will be able to receive Virgin Media Broadband packages by way of a fibre optic network which is really a bonus as cable networks almost always stick religiously to their advertised broadband speeds.
ADSL providers, on the other hand, make use of BT telephone lines which, for various reasons, are unable to provide accurate download speeds, offering only speeds “up to” a certain level.
The words “up to” should set the red lights flashing as they shrewdly disguise any speed shortcomings.
However, most places are enabled with ADSL Max, which means anything up to 8Mb.
3. Where you live is important (we did warn you about ”location”!)
Where you live is significant because, even though broadband technology has improved in leaps and bounds in the last few years, there are still some areas that are more equal than others. You have heard that hoary old chestnut before, haven’t you?
The ADSL broadband speed in one part of the UK is vastly different from that in another part due to a number of factors, for one, the condition of your phone line.
To overcome this problem, a number of broadband providers, such as Be Broadband, O2 Broadband, Sky or UK Online make use of ADSL2+ technology, replacing BT equipment in the exchanges with their own, with the result that they can offer broadband speeds of up to 24Mb.
4. Is your phone line affecting your broadband speed?
If you one of those using a BT phone line to receive your broadband, the material condition of your line and how far you are from the exchange may affect your broadband speed, as the signal strength deteriorates over distance on copper telephone wires.
If you do live some way from your telephone exchange you should seriously consider using one of the ADSL2+ providers, such as Be Broadband and 02 Broadband to trap as much extra valuable broadband speed as possible.
Take the trouble to check your actual distance from your nearest telephone exchange, as the crow flies of course, before making your decision.
5. Avoid being ”throttled” (does your car have a throttle AND a choke? Lucky you!)
Something to remember when you are analysing different broadband speeds is that in the evenings and at other busy times, broadband providers have to organise their internet flow so as to avoid ”traffic” jams.
This means that people who have used up their bandwidth allocation or breached the ISP’s “fair use policy” in any way will have their speeds cut, or “throttled”, in fairness to fellow users on the broadband service. Beware the speed police. It may be enough to make you choke.
With this in mind, always look carefully at the broadband provider’s Fair Use Policy or speed management system to see how this might influence your usage.
If you think you might be affected by this, have a look at the ISP policies of providers such as Be Broadband, 02 Broadband and PlusNet, whose users speak highly of their fair policies and transparency.
Are you finding the comparison of broadband packages and range of speeds bewildering to say the least? Does confusion reign? Don’t reach for the tablets just yet.
I have defined the most important points you should bear in mind when comparing the wide range of broadband speeds on offer through a broadband comparison site like ChooseISP.co.uk, which allows you to compare broadband speeds of all the main UK broadband providers.
The five points below will help you to ultimately make the most suitable choice of broadband package in the easiest and fastest way possible. To coin a phrase, it will be easier than falling off a log.
Here is a 5-point check list for you to run through before making any firm decisions.
Once you have gone through it, you should have no trouble at all in making your decision about which high-speed broadband package you should choose, especially with the help of a broadband comparison table.
1. Amount of Usage
The first thing to look at, before you start comparing broadband speeds, is to decide how much you will use your broadband and for what purpose you intend using it.
For instance, if your use of the internet is considerable you should preferably choose a faster broadband connection with no download limits.
However, if you are not often online a cheaper but slower broadband connection might be preferable, even if it is possibly a bit more limited.
2. Cable or ADSL?
Where you live can have a marked influence on the speed of your broadband connection. Yes, it is definitely a case of location, location, location as the property Phil & Kirsty would have it.
Do you live in a cable area? If you do, then you will be able to receive Virgin Media Broadband packages by way of a fibre optic network which is really a bonus as cable networks almost always stick religiously to their advertised broadband speeds.
ADSL providers, on the other hand, make use of BT telephone lines which, for various reasons, are unable to provide accurate download speeds, offering only speeds “up to” a certain level.
The words “up to” should set the red lights flashing as they shrewdly disguise any speed shortcomings.
However, most places are enabled with ADSL Max, which means anything up to 8Mb.
3. Where you live is important (we did warn you about ”location”!)
Where you live is significant because, even though broadband technology has improved in leaps and bounds in the last few years, there are still some areas that are more equal than others. You have heard that hoary old chestnut before, haven’t you?
The ADSL broadband speed in one part of the UK is vastly different from that in another part due to a number of factors, for one, the condition of your phone line.
To overcome this problem, a number of broadband providers, such as Be Broadband, O2 Broadband, Sky or UK Online make use of ADSL2+ technology, replacing BT equipment in the exchanges with their own, with the result that they can offer broadband speeds of up to 24Mb.
4. Is your phone line affecting your broadband speed?
If you one of those using a BT phone line to receive your broadband, the material condition of your line and how far you are from the exchange may affect your broadband speed, as the signal strength deteriorates over distance on copper telephone wires.
If you do live some way from your telephone exchange you should seriously consider using one of the ADSL2+ providers, such as Be Broadband and 02 Broadband to trap as much extra valuable broadband speed as possible.
Take the trouble to check your actual distance from your nearest telephone exchange, as the crow flies of course, before making your decision.
5. Avoid being ”throttled” (does your car have a throttle AND a choke? Lucky you!)
Something to remember when you are analysing different broadband speeds is that in the evenings and at other busy times, broadband providers have to organise their internet flow so as to avoid ”traffic” jams.
This means that people who have used up their bandwidth allocation or breached the ISP’s “fair use policy” in any way will have their speeds cut, or “throttled”, in fairness to fellow users on the broadband service. Beware the speed police. It may be enough to make you choke.
With this in mind, always look carefully at the broadband provider’s Fair Use Policy or speed management system to see how this might influence your usage.
If you think you might be affected by this, have a look at the ISP policies of providers such as Be Broadband, 02 Broadband and PlusNet, whose users speak highly of their fair policies and transparency.