Looking For Home Broadband? Baffled By The Latest Technology?

By Author: Christian Wilson
Total Articles: 52
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Basically, there are three choices of broadband available to you: BT's ADSL, BT Fibre Optic and Virgin Media's Cable.

In the BT camp, two types of broadband are available; the old BT broadband delivered by ADSL and the latest ‘go faster' BT broadband containing BT Fibre Optic, currently being ‘rolled out' across the country.

ADSL
Do you like to be impressed by long technical names? ADSL translates into the technical term Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. In simple terms, broadband is delivered through a BT telephone exchange converting your telephone line into a high-speed digital connection. First speed check: (up to 8Mbs).

With the aid of a little splitter/fitter device known as a microfilter, which can be neatly plugged into your telephone socket, telephone calls can now be separated from your broadband.

Heard of LLU?
No? This can be translated as Local Loop Unbundling (nothing to do with untangling knots!)

LLU is the technology which allows O2, TalkTalk and BE access into the BT exchange to install their own equipment. Another speed check's ...
... coming up and we're starting to warm up. Speed Check: (up to 24Mb)

ADSL+
BT is currently bringing in ADSL+ which is a free speed upgrade. In theory, this upgrade can accelerate speeds up to 20Mbs. However, don't get your hope's up, conversions are being rolled out slowly and realistically you're upgrade may not happen for another 2 years.

BT Fibre Optic
BT's latest technology unveiled!

BT are currently converting copper wires to fibre-optic wires to achieve their first superfast broadband. Speed Check: (up to 40Mb) - We're getting competitive!

Fibre-optic wires - No more faint calls
Fibre-optic technology can maintain high-quality sound from a distance.

Now, its over to the Virgin Media camp.
Cable
In 2007, two of BT's major competitors: NTL and Telewest merged to form Virgin Media.
Virgin Media's cable broadband comes from a line run into your home.
Disadvantages of Cable
Its only available to half the UK population. The best advice is: Check your regional area for coverage!
Advantages of Virgin Media
Advantages of Virgin Media include a value-for-money 'triple-play' service - 3 services rolled into 1.
Disadvantages - hidden charges - Installation of Virgin's Landline/Broadband
To switch from BT to Virgin, Virgin are ‘stinging' customers for a telephone line whether customers like it or not!
Disadvantages - Hidden Charges - Cancellation of BT Phoneline
If you switch from BT telephone to Virgin telephone and then switch back to BT at a later stage, BT will pull a sneaky one and there's a charge to pay!

Advantages of Broadband Media
SPEED!
Broadband Media can be purchased with speeds up to 50Mb and even the slowest speeds of Broadband Media (up to10Mb) are faster than BT's ADSL (up to 8Mb).
Speedcheck: Rumours of Broadband Media's turbo-charged speeds (up to 100Mb) - Wow!
Finally, both camps race to the finish line.
The Speed Race
If Virgin's hybrid fibre and BT's copper wire were lined up on the grid (probably exchanging insults) hybrid fibre (with deliverable speeds up to 50Mb) would reach the chequered flag first! Let battle commence.