Broadband Guide

8Mb broadband

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As little as three years ago, 8Mb broadband was considered a luxury. Now it’s the norm, thanks to competition among internet service providers. By Seamour Rathore, 12/06/2009. Read the guide to 8Mb broadband

Should I get 8Mb broadband?

Networks are rushing to upgrade their headline speeds, and where once 2Mb was touted as a breakthrough for the home market, now 60% of people with broadband are signed up to an 8Mb service.

High profile internet companies, including TalkTalk Broadband (www.TalkTalk.co.uk), O2 Broadband (www.O2.co.uk) and AOL (www.AOL.co.uk) offer 8Mb as their basic headline speed. Virgin Media (www.VirginMedia.com) is upgrading all its customers to 10Mb broadband as standard and BT has gone one step further and is upgrading its customers to 20Mb broadband.

What speed will I actually get?

8Mb broadband sounds like a great headline broadband speed, but only a few customers will actually get it. Factors including the time of day, number people using an exchange at a given time, the distance of your house from the exchange and other technical issues mean that it is likely that you will get significantly less than 8Mb broadband.

The communications watchdog Ofcom (www.Ofcom.org.uk) said in January 2009 that the average speed UK broadband consumers get is around 3.6Mb, despite 60% of them being signed up to an 8Mb service.

Nevertheless, a speed of 3.6Mb is plenty for sending emails and web browsing and will also mean that you have a good experience when downloading or streaming on-demand TV such as the BBC’s iPlayer.

What other features should I check with 8Mb broadband?

As well as headline speed, you may be the sort of user who needs a decent download limit – perhaps you use iTunes or download the odd film. The download limits offered by 8Mb broadband packages vary greatly, as you can see from the table at the top of this article.

If you download or stream a lot of TV programmes or films you should go for a broadband package with a higher download limit.

If you download more than the monthly limit on your package, you could be liable for penalties according to your provider’s terms. They will normally issue a warning first, but if you go on using more than your limit or your usage is considered “excessive” they will impose penalties. Penalties come in three main forms:

• Extra charges on your bill – check your provider’s rules on the level of charges
• Making you upgrade – your provider may suggest you upgrade to a more expensive package with higher download limits
• Speed throttling– Your internet service provider (ISP) will cut your speed at busy times of the day, if you download too much data. This is often a feature of broadband services marketed as "unlimited subject to a fair usage policy".

Should I package my 8Mb broadband with my home phone?

As you can see from the table above, many providers are keen to encourage you to sign up to their phone service too. To this end they offer very good value packages which can include home phone or home phone and digital TV too.

It is worth investigating bundled packages like this as you can save large amounts of money over the year. AOL, Plusnet Broadband (www.Plus.net) and TalkTalk all offer 8Mb broadband bundled with a phone service.

Take advantage of the freebies with 8Mb broadband

If you’re planning sign up to a new 8Mb broadband provider, keep an eye on the latest offers in the marketplace. There is strong competition for switching business among broadband providers, so at any there are always good introductory offers on the market.

These may include free connection or discounts for an introductory period. Many ISPs will also give you a new, free wireless router. This can be invaluable if you want a chance of getting the best possible speed, as router technology is improving all the time.

If you want to keep on top of the latest deals and introductory offers, sign up to the BroadbandChoices.co.uk RSS news feed.

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