What is superfast broadband?

In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the new wave of broadband, superfast broadband.

We’ve been through the days of dial-up internet and witnessed the broadband revolution, but there is a new type of internet that is already taking the world by storm, and is only set to become more prevalent in the months and years to come: superfast broadband.

Technically speaking, ‘superfast broadband’ refers to a broadband connection or service that offers users to capacity to attain internet speeds upwards of 30Mbps. Usually, however, speeds will be even higher than this if the user lives in a city or large town.

Not all broadband connections are born equal, and it truly is the case that superfast broadband is not only superior, but is undeniably more desirable, for a number of reasons. For one, it means you can download files – be they songs, movies, documents or programs – incredibly quickly, and also allows multiple users in the same property to do the same. Secondly, it actually allows for more people to be connected to the same broadband connection simultaneously, owing to the increased degree of bandwidth. Thirdly, it is designed with modern households in mind, meaning that whatever device(s) you want to use – from phones to smartwatches, tablets to laptops – they will all be able to benefit.

These three alone should be enough to highlight the inherent benefits associated with superfast broadband, but in reality, there are a whole heap more.

The numerous benefits

Working From Home

– Superfast broadband can help you work from home. When working from home, the key is being able to carry out your day-to-day duties as efficiently – if not more efficiently – than would be possible in an office environment. With superfast broadband installed you can ensure that you well placed to benefit from steady connections, meaning that documents can be sent over in a timely fashion, emails will come through without delay, and video and audio services (Skype, Zoom, Teams) will operate smoothly.

Increased Speed

– It will reduce latency. If you have newer pieces of technological kit – the latest touchscreen laptop or smart TV, for example – it is unlikely that they will be able to operate at full capacity without your home making use of superfast broadband. This means doing things such as switching from one application to another, buffering videos or songs, or simply logging in to online banking, will speed up significantly.

Improved Data Backup

– Your device(s) will be backed up more efficiently. While most people are somewhat aware of the fact that superfast broadband will be beneficial when it comes to downloading documents and files, the fact that it also allows for speedy uploading is often overlooked. Backing up your computer or device is something that is incredibly important, but can easily be forgotten about, or can slip to the bottom of one’s agenda. However, with a superfast broadband connection, you will be able to sign up with a number of back-up options, many of which will operate in the background without the user having to actually do anything.

Adds Value To Your Home

– It could genuinely increase the chances of selling your house. This doesn’t sound like it should be real but, in actual fact, it is absolutely correct. According to a survey that was recently carried out by ispreview, a whopping 68.8 percent of UK adults would be ‘put off’ from buying a home if it did not have superfast broadband. What’s more, nearly three out of four respondents to the survey (73.9 percent) said that they consider broadband ‘absolutely critical’ to their home life. It is likely that, even though these figures are quite high, they will only have increased in the time since the survey was carried out, partly due to the huge number of people now needing to work from home, and also partly owing to the fact that nearly everything we do these days requires access to the internet to some degree.

How exactly does it work?

Superfast broadband makes use of one of the most innovative inventions in recent times – fibre-optic cables. The broadband signals will travel down these cables for most – if not all – of their journey, which is both more effective and far quicker than the copper wires that have been utilised previously.

Fibre-optic cables – often known simply as ‘full fibre’ – have been designed specifically with broadband in mind, meaning that data can be transferred in a manner that is both speedier and more reliable than in the recent past.

It is certainly worth pointing out that at the moment only around 10 percent of homes have direct access to full fibre, but that does not mean the remaining 90 percent cannot benefit from superfast broadband. The more of your connection that makes use of full fibre, the better, so even if your home still requires an ADSL connection, it is liable to benefit to some degree.

You can see what broadband speeds you should expect to be able to access in your area by clicking here.

Information worth noting

There are a number of things you should be aware of with regard to superfast broadband. For example:

– It is available in around 96 percent of the UK (28 million homes)
– It tends to be far superior to ADSL internet (which comes via phone line)
– It can reach speeds of around 108Mbps
– 73 percent of UK households watch ‘on-demand’ content on a daily basis, and this is far less likely to lag or crash with superfast broadband installed

Is superfast broadband something I should invest in?

Superfast broadband is something that could benefit nearly every household in the UK. With more and more people working from home, with TV shows and films now being watched predominantly via internet-based catch-up services, with computer games requiring more powerful and robust online access than ever before, and given that in many households these forms of internet access will be required simultaneously, the need for fast and reliable broadband is widespread.

To discover more about full fibre and superfast broadband, and to see what options are not only viable option to you, but are best for you, head to https://comparefibre.co.uk/.

However, if it is the case that you want internet solely to check your emails once a day, and don’t do anything that taxes your bandwidth – Googling recipes every now and again, for example – then there is probably no real reason to more away from your current ADSL connection.