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Broadband availability
More than 20 years since the launch of the world wide web, over 17 million people in the UK have broadband access via a network of providers that covers around 90% of the country.
The Government has also promised to deliver speeds of at least 2Mb to every home in the country by 2012 - pushing availability to 100%.
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A variety of different technologies are used to deliver broadband to cities and rural areas, ranging from just 512Kb to speeds of up to 50Mb.
ADSL broadband
ADSL broadband is delivered via the BT copper wire network used for telephone lines. However, you don’t have to take BT Broadband's (www.BT.com) internet or home phone services to get an ADSL broadband connection.
The majority of broadband providers use ADSL technology to deliver broadband to your home, but unlike dial-up, which also uses phone lines to access the internet, broadband gives you always-on, high-speed access to the internet while keeping your home phone free to make and receive calls.
ADSL2+ technology now allows ADSL providers to offer speeds of up to 24Mb.
ADSL broadband is available to around 90% of the UK, though the speed that you receive varies depending on how far you are from your local exchange.
Local loop unbundled broadband
While local loop unbundled (LLU) broadband still uses ADSL technology and telephone lines to deliver your broadband, LLU providers like TalkTalk Broadband (www.Talktalk.co.uk) and Sky Broadband (www.Sky.com) install their own technology in the local BT telephone exchange allowing them to make savings that they can then pass on to customers in the form of “free broadband” and cheap broadband bundles.
There are now over six million LLU lines in the UK and like standard ADSL providers, LLU suppliers can offer speeds of up to 24Mb
Cable broadband
Virgin Media (www.Virginmedia.com) uses its superfast cable network to deliver speeds of up to 50Mb - the UK’s fastest broadband package.
It also offers two other packages over its cable network, at speeds of up to 10Mb and 20Mb. The ISP began upgrading old 4Mb customers to 10Mb for free in May 2009.
Virgin Media’s cable network is currently available to 51% of the UK, and the provider will be extending its network to a further 500,000 homes throughout 2009.
Mobile broadband
Mobile broadband allows you to get online almost anywhere in the UK, without the constraints of wires or landlines. Top speeds in selected areas are currently up to 14.4Mb with Vodafone Mobile Broadband (www.Vodafone.co.uk), but like other types of fixed-line broadband it is rare for customers to receive advertised top speeds, and Vodafone has advised customers in its fastest areas to expect “typical speeds of anything between 1Mb and 4Mb with a practical maximum speed of 10.8Mb”.
Mobile broadband services are available to more than 85% of the country and customers can get online wherever they can get a mobile phone signal, since mobile phone operators use their networks to deliver broadband to laptops via small, portable USB modem sticks and mobile broadband dongles.
Satellite broadband
This technology is still rarely used by home internet users because costs can be very high. However, satellite broadband options are occasionally the only choice in the few areas where ADSL, cable or mobile broadband availability is poor or non-existent, and providers like Eutelsat Communications (www.Eutelsat.com) and Tariam Satellite Broadband (www.Tariam.co.uk) are slowly bringing costs down. Some rural communities living in broadband “notspots” have even banded together to set up their own networks.
Wireless hotspots
Free, or paid for, wireless hotspots allow users to get online using a public wifi connection. There are a number of hotspot providers including BT, T-Mobile Broadband (www.T-Mobile.co.uk) and O2 Mobile Broadband (www.O2.co.uk), each with thousands of hotspots throughout the UK and abroad. You can also find wireless hotspot access in independent coffee shops, hotels and even on trains.
Finding a broadband provider
Finding a broadband provider in your area is simple. Use our free UK broadband comparison service and type in your postcode - it will give you a list of the top suppliers in your area, ranked by first year cost and highlighting any catches or extra benefits such as a fair usage policy or free internet security.
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