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The influence of broadband speeds.

Broadband connection speeds explained plus information on choosing the most appropriate package speed for your individual usage.


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The speed of your internet connection will affect everything you do online, from how long it takes to open a web page and download a music file, to whether your browser can support real-time streaming. The speed of your broadband connection is a measure of the time it takes to transfer information to your computer and is measured in kilobits (kbps) or megabits per second (mpbs).

Traditional dial up connections transfer information at a rate of approximately 56kbps. When you consider that even the slowest broadband speed option available (516kbps) is almost ten times as fast as this, the advancement of broadband begins to come into perspective. Speeds of up to 8mbps (approx. 160 times faster) are now offered by most internet service providers (ISPs), although some claim to even double these speeds. Providers usually classify and price their broadband packages on connection speed, so the real question is what speed is most suitable for your needs?

Usage Recommendations

If you are only a very light user who simply uses the internet to send emails and look for information and rarely need to download files, ten the 512kbps broadband speed may be adequate. Despite being the slowest broadband speed, it is still roughly ten times faster than a dial up connection so web pages will open almost instantly and you will have the convenience of being constantly connected to the internet for the lowest price.

The majority of internet service providers offer 1mbps and 2mpbs broadband as standard and these packages offer a good balance between speed and cost suitable for frequent users. Surfing the net at these speeds will mean that web pages will open in less than half a second, that files download quickly and that low quality streaming will be available enabling you to use a web camera and view videos online, although the quality won’t be particularly fantastic.

Speeds higher than this are more suitable for those who use more developed areas of the internet, including interactive gaming, watching live broadcasts, frequently downloading large files and watching television online. Additionally if you are likely to be using your connection to provide a network of computers with the internet (whether at home or in a business capacity) it is best to go for a higher speed option.

Speed Availability

When you sign up to a package with an internet service provider, they will check the speed availability in your area. It is worth noting that there are several factors which affect transmission speed and so you may not always be able to get the maximum speed a provider offers.

Phone Line - One of the main factors which determine which broadband speed you will be able to get is your proximity to a phone exchange. The nearer you are, the more likely you will be to get maximum speed broadband, as the broadband signal weakens, the further it has to travel. The quality of the phone or cable line which feeds signal to your house will also impact the speed, with better quality lines enabling faster speeds. These are two factors which you have little control over, there are however several steps you can take to ensure that once your broadband is up and running, it transmits information at as fast a speed as your package will allow.

Equipment - The computer equipment and wiring you choose to use can impact the speed you will actually receive from your broadband connection. By the same token as external wires, the shorter the distance the broadband signal has to travel once in your home, the faster the signal. To maximise this, try and connect your modem to a main phone socket without using an extension lead. Additionally, wireless connections are usually more susceptible to variations in speed as the signal has to pass through walls and ceilings etc to reach your computer.

Signal - As the broadband signal is available through any phone socket in your house (it is this which makes networking so easy), including those used by telephone or fax machines, it is necessary to fit each socket with a micro filter to help split voice and data signals, reducing disruption and consequently helping to maximise speed availability. Additionally ensure your modem or router is compatible, connected properly and in good working order.

Usage Time - Finally, the time of day which you choose to use the internet will affect the available speed of your connection. As you share the internet signal brought through the phone line with other people in your area (this is known as contention), at peak usage times (generally between 6 and 11 in the evening) the connection is likely to be slower as more people are trying to access the internet at the same time. Although this is unlikely to affect you too badly (internet service providers impose fair usage policies to prevent too much strain on the connections) if you are planning to download large amounts of information or require very high speed signal, it may be best (and more considerate) to avoid these peak times.

Although internet service providers do try and push the higher speed packages, for the majority of users, medium speed connections will be perfectly adequate. Before choosing an internet package, it is important that you consider the way in which you (and the people you live with) use the internet and then decide which speed you should go for.