Broadband Networks and Providers

October 4th, 2010 | Broadband, Broadband Providers

From a purely technical viewpoint, broadband refers to a “broad” bandwidth (a term used to describe the range of frequencies that can be used to transfer data over a network).  The “broader” this band, the more capable it is of transferring large amounts of data quickly.  With its early use in radio, the most narrow of bands could only carry Morse code, while the broader bands could carry speech.  The term may have originated among radio users, and focused on radio transmission, the term has now come to represent many other means of data transfer.

Broadband today refers mostly to high-speed internet connections designed for delivering large files and rich media content.  The successor to early dial-up services, broadband shifted the internet away from text heavy formats toward audio-visual experience.  Modern broadband connections can download as well as stream images, audio and video content seamlessly and without interruption.  Varying degrees of broadband services exist, all at various prices from many providers.  While they share a common goal of finding a unique niche to fill, most services are similar, and will all take the user to the same internet.

“Broadband” is a term that is relative to the timeframe it’s mentioned in. The “broadest” of bands in early radio could only transfer voice, while modern broadband has exceeded these capabilities more than 100 times over.  The broadband of today will likely be a footnote in the broadband of tomorrow, however for now it simply has come to mean the fastest means of transferring data.

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Plusnet broadband deals and packages

October 2nd, 2010 | Broadband, Broadband Providers

Plusnet broadband is a home internet service provider located in the United Kingdom, with a prime focus on providing the best value and all round lowest cost for Broadband service in the UK. 

While they offer a few different levels of service like any broadband company, Plusnet home broadband service is known for being a strong low cost leader.  Their low level, baseline service plans are relatively unmatched in the realm of price, all while maintaining a decent level of service.  While Plusnet’s low cost plans steal the show, their premium services are also priced competitively, and should still be considered by heavy internet users.

Their most notable service goes by the name “Plusnet Value”, and offers an eight Megabit per second download rate connection, with a 10 Gigabyte per month download cap.  Priced at just £6.49, it’s one of the cheapest broadband plans in the UK.  Despite this low cost, for many users the 10 Gigabyte download cap is simply insufficient.  For many users this is an excellent price on a product that they cannot use, and this concern remains relatively unaddressed.
   
Plusnet Premium on the other hand offers 60 Gigabytes per month of usage at a much faster 20 Megabits per second.  While not a truly “unlimited” plan like many other broadband providers are offering, for many users this plan is more than sufficient.  While some may argue that this plan is nearly twice as expensive as Plusnet Value at £11.49 per month, it still remains a competitive price compared to other service providers.

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Broadband deals in the UK

September 28th, 2010 | Broadband, Broadband Comparison, Broadband Deals

When it comes to choosing which ISP (Internet Service Provider) and broadband UK package is the best one for you, bear in mind that there are plenty of broadband deals on offer but that the cheapest is not necessarily the best.  It depends to a very large extent on what you will be using your connection to the internet for.

Internet users may be occasional, average or heavy in terms of their usage.  Occasional users spend on average one hour a day checking their emails and a few websites, and for them the most basic package will suffice.

Average internet users dominate; spending not much more than three hours of the day, often catching up on TV programmes they missed, and they will require somewhat faster download speeds in a budget-friendly package that allows them to occasionally overdo things on their download allowance without paying excessively for it.

Heavy users include those who spend a relatively large slice of time online, on gaming websites or downloading movies, playing role-playing games and watching a lot of TV.  They may be working from home and having to spend many hours of the day connected.  For them, there are many packages that offer higher download limits, and at the extreme there are some broadband providers offering unlimited downloads.  These superfast connections come at a price of course, but this has to be weighed against their advantages.

Choosing the broadband deal that suits you best is down to personal requirements, and there are many broadband comparison websites that can help you narrow down the available options.

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Businesses find broadband access more important than railways or roads

September 26th, 2010 | Broadband, Business Broadband

A recent survey by Virgin Media Business broadband revealed that 26 per cent of the businesses surveyed in the West Midlands believe that the building of a fibre optic broadband network will contribute more to the bottom line of businesses than would a railway network or good roads.

Virgin says that the claims that fibre optical networks are more important than roads and railways are proven by their survey. A member of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce said that the survey indicates a need for the improvement of all communication forms but, even though road and rail improvements are a priority for some, fast broadband including fibre is the top priority for many companies.

The head of Virgin Media broadband’ s business market in the West Midlands says that the latest general election was filled with policies and promises on how each party will improve the nation’s communication infrastructure. Even though the election has passed, communications is still at the top of the agenda in boardrooms.

There is no doubt that when it comes to broadband, UK consumers and businesses are increasingly reliant on stable and fast connections. Even though copper wire broadband such as ADSL may be sufficient for the next few years, fibre broadband will eventually become essential.

The catch is that the fibre broadband infrastructure can take many years to complete and, if providers wait until ADSL is no longer sufficient, there will be a long period of inadequate internet access for consumers and businesses in the UK.

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Project Canvas set-top-box could be free with Talk Talk Broadband

September 23rd, 2010 | Broadband, Broadband Deals

Progress in Project Canvas, the working title for the open TV over internet service, are slowly being made and now TalkTalk Broadband are planning to bundle a box as part of a new subscription service.

When the boxes go on-sale in 2011, prices are thought to be around the £200 mark but will fall as subscribers increase. The service, which will probably be called “YouView”, will receive Freeview digital transmissions but when connected to your broadband connection can stream video-on-demand directly to TV’s, bypassing the need for a geeky computer in the living room.

With many major players on board including BBC, ITV, Channel4, Arquiva, TalkTalk and BT the service is set to make a major impact on the way TV media over broadband is utilised. The project has drawn criticism from other telecommunications companies such as Virgin Media and BSkyB (Sky Broadband) who view these attempts as cartel behaviour. TalkTalk broadband has yet to iron out pricing for its subscription packages but believes it hasn’t contravened the Project Canvas requirements of ISP neutrality and still plans to proceed despite the threat of legal proceedings or regulation.

TalkTalk also revealed that they wouldn’t be promoting the box to customers on slower line speeds so only about 20% of the population would be able to enjoy the service. With Virgin Media preparing a new TiVo powered broadband TV service, the next year promises to be an exciting one for everyone who loves television and also for broadband providers looking for a new revenue stream.

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Advertised broadband speeds vs. real broadband speed

September 18th, 2010 | Broadband Equipment, Broadband Providers

The vast majority of broadband customers find that they do not get the advertised broadband speed of the service they purchased and a significant number of customer don’t get speeds even approaching that of the advertised speeds which they are paying for. What is happening?

Actual real-life broadband speeds are influenced by a number of factors. For ADSL users the distance between your home and the telephone exchange is the major contributor to slower broadband speeds. ADSL operates effectively up to 10 miles from the exchange, but a customer that lives 7 miles from the exchange is likely to obtain only about 30% of the advertised speeds.

Real life speeds can also be affected by the quality of your modem, the hours at which you’re using the service as well as the quality of the infrastructure of your service provider. Also remember that some websites are inherently slower than others and you may find that downloads from some sites are slow, a fault of the website owner and not of your connection.

There is considerable frustration amongst customers about the fact that they’re not getting the speeds they were sold on. Ofcom says that up to 74% of customers were not told that the actual speed they get on their line could possibly be slower than the maximum advertised speed.

Unfortunately almost all current broadband technologies have varying speeds that could be substantially different from the maximum advertised speed. It is also very likely that the fact that you get a real world speed slower than the advertised maximum has nothing to do with the service provider you choose, but all to do with factors beyond the service provider’s control, such as your distance from the exchange.

It is probably best to accept that you are unlikely to get the advertised speeds and that, by changing broadband providers; you’re quite likely to be no better off. If you are far from your nearest phone exchange it is not going to make a difference whether you are subscribed with Tiscali broadband, TalkTalk broadband or BT Total broadband. However it is worth researching a few tips and techniques that may help you improve your broadband speeds.

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Broadband in the UK

September 15th, 2010 | Broadband, Broadband Providers

When looking for broadband providers in the UK, there are a lot of providers and a wealth information about these providers and their offerings online.   While Broadband UK and other listings for providers often provide up to date information about these service providers and their offerings, their information is not always complete and up to date.  To ensure that the best information is garnered, a few steps should first be taken.

Most notably, when searching in the Broadband UK services directory, most often you’ll find a link to visit a company’s website.  These contacts are excellent sources for specific information about specific broadband companies offering service in your area.  All in all, the best information will be here; however it is a bit cumbersome to research each and every company directly from their website.

While a company’s website is often a great source of information, more often than not even the company’s landing page site offers all the available information.  More often than not, speaking with a representative personally will allow you to get information that is not normally available to buyers.  A savvy caller can strong arm these call handlers and achieve deals that are often reserved for those threatening to cancel their services.

While listings and Broadband UK directories are helpful, they are rarely a magic bullet or a cure all.  The best information still requires effort on a personal level, and requires research to be done by the prospective buyer.

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Ofcom changes complaints procedures for broadband customers

September 9th, 2010 | Broadband, Broadband Providers

Under new guidelines published by Ofcom, mobile broadband and home broadband providers must include information on how to take disputes to one of the two free resolution services available.

Currently, there are two organisations – the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS), and the Office of the Telecommunications Ombudsman (Otelo) who provide this service but not too many consumers know that they exist.

All paper bills that broadband providers send to their customers need to, from next year, contain information on the two resolution bodies and companies must notify all customers with unresolved complaints in writing within 8 weeks and inform them of their consumer rights.

Also in the pipeline are new minimum standards on how broadband providers should handle complaints. This should open the door for Ofcom to take action against providers who don’t treat broadband customers fairly.

However, customers complaining about their broadband will still face a wait of up to eight weeks before issues can go for adjudication and can then wait even longer for a judgement. Facing eight weeks without broadband can be a nightmare scenario for many, as more and more of our daily lives involve interaction with the internet in some way. Customers who work from home using their home broadband are put in an especially bad position if their broadband access is switched off.

The new guidelines are a move in the right direction as it’s been estimated that over 3 million complaints went unresolved last year. From July 2011, this should all change – hopefully CISAS and Otelo are capable of handling the increased workload.

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O2 Broadband – it’s hard to beat on service and price!

September 7th, 2010 | Broadband, Broadband Providers, Broadband Reviews

O2 Broadband is an internet service provider located in the UK that offers service for both home broadband users as well as mobile broadband subscribers.  O2 Broadband manages to offer solid service in both fields, all while maintaining an overall focus on “all round” value.  Rather than focusing on any one extreme, be it price, performance, or contract term, O2 offers a few services at a few different price points in the hope of attracting as many customers as possible.

In the realm of home broadband, O2 has centred their focus on their standard broadband service.  This service offers an eight Megabit per second download speed with an unlimited download allowance.  Priced at £7.50 per month, O2 broadband keeps its prices among the lowest, all without any restricting download cap.  Premium broadband services are also available at £10.00 monthly for a 20 Megabit per second connection depending on where you live.  While these unlimited plans are very inexpensive, they do require a prior commitment to O2, otherwise they are priced at an additional £5.00.

As far as mobile broadband services are concerned, O2 offers a wide variety of plans.  Pay as you go programs and Pay-Per-Day services are common, and are offered alongside the usual monthly service.  Daily service comes at a price of £2.00, which is a bit steep considering that the same service can be purchased at £9.78 per month.  All in all, O2’s mobile offerings do not stand out much among the competition, however when combined with home broadband service the entire package becomes much more attractive.

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Broadband Dongles – Mobile Broadband wherever you are!

September 4th, 2010 | Broadband, Mobile Broadband, Mobile Broadband Comparison

There’s a boom in popularity for these. Dongles let you take your laptop and obtain internet access absolutely anywhere there is a mobile network signal, so it’s worth knowing a few things about dongles.

A mobile broadband dongle is a device that has a mobile phone radio, customised for mobile data, and is adapted to let the mobile phone radio connect to the USB port in your laptop. In essence it works in a similar way to a phone line and ADSL modem, but using the mobile network.

There are of course pros and cons to dongles. The main benefit is course that you can surf the internet almost anywhere, which is great for holidays, long car or train journeys as well as business meetings. Dongles are also extremely compact so they’re easy to take with you wherever you go.

On the other hand dongles come with some restrictions. For one, if there is no 3G mobile phone signal where you are, you won’t be able to connect. You’re also limited in terms of speed and usage: broadband dongles can be far slower than ADSL lines and the usage levels are restricted, sometimes as little as 512MB, which means that watching one or two videos on BBC iPlayer will exhaust your bundled usage.

Remember to visit a mobile broadband comparison site to see which option is best for you: a contract, pay as you go or a free laptop deal. You also need to visit the home page of the provider to check that there is coverage in your area. Most importantly, make sure your choice of mobile broadband includes enough usage for your needs.

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