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Beginner’s Guide to Different Types of Broadband Connections

Finding the right broadband deal is often anything but simple. While you might think that it’s as easy as finding the best price, often this can leave you with a slow download speed, constricting usage limits or a contract that’s far more difficult to get out of than it should be.

Price aside, there’s also the multitude of connection types to consider, each of which will be able to support different download speeds and browsing capabilities. As your broadband connection should meet your specific needs, you will need to consider which type will be most suitable for you and what you use the internet for. This way you can avoid the hassle of either overpaying, or finding that your monthly allowance restricts your household usage.

Which Type of Broadband Connecting Is Best?

Currently, broadband accounts for nearly all domestic internet connections in the UK, with OSN figures revealing that broadband accounts for 98% of connections. With around 99% of adults using the internet daily, often to stream videos of play games online, it’s safe to say that our appetite for data has increased exponentially.

Whether you are a keen gamer or someone who simply enjoys streaming their favourite movies and TV shows, the big question which type of connection will be best suited to meet your needs?

Superfast Broadband

Fibre-optic broadband is quickly becoming the most common type of connection. Using fibre optics rather than traditional copper wires, this type of connection can support far greater internet speeds which won’t be at risk of slowing down over long distance in the same way as a traditional broadband connection.

This is because a standard ADSL connection speed can vary depending on your location’s proximity to the exchange, something that you do not have to worry about with a superfast fibre optic connection.

Generally speaking, a superfast fibre optic connection is best for a household with multiple occupants, otherwise you will likely be overpaying for an internet connection that you won’t fully utilise.

ADSL Broadband

ADSL connections remain the most popular type of internet connection for the time being, due to how long they have been around for. While this type of broadband connection is unlikely to offer you the fastest speeds, it is by no means slow and offers a perfectly acceptable and reliable service. Unlike fibre broadband, ADLS uses copper wires connected to the local telephone exchange to deliver you your connection. While it does make use of your home’s telephone connection, ADSL should not be confused with the now-defunct dial-up broadband.  

Because it does use copper wires though, it is worth checking that speeds you can expect in your location as it may not be the same as the one advertised by the service provider. This is because copper wires cannot support the signal speed over long distances, causing them to drop if you do not live near a telephone exchange.

Ultrafast Broadband

Currently the least widely adopted form of connection, it is estimated that by the end of next year, over 3 million homes will have switched over to a superfast broadband connection as our demand for data continues to grow. While the speed of this type of connection will likely be reflected in the price of contracts, it will likely be a justified cost for many.

Ultrafast broadband promises to do away with the need for copper wiring, instead using fibre optic cables to directly connect your household to the nearest telephone exchange.