Broadband Guide

ADSL2 packages and providers

Updated: Tuesday 04 January, 2011

By Editorial - news@consumerchoices.co.uk

Copper wire ADSL2 broadband allows you to go online at speeds of up to 24Mb, letting you make the most of everything that the internet has to offer.

ADSL2+ boosting broadband speeds

Copper wire broadband has come a long way since dial-up and ADSL2 connections now offers speeds of up to 24Mb broadband. There are a wide number of providers offering ADSL2 and ADSL2+ packages, including BE Broadband (www.Bethere.co.uk), TalkTalk Broadband (www.Talktalk.co.uk), and O2 Broadband (www.O2.co.uk).

While the top advertised speed might vary from one provider to another, most ADSL2 packages come with speeds of up to 24Mb or 20Mb broadband.

However, as with all broadband packages, a number of different factors, including distance from the exchange, network congestion and traffic management, so you shouldn’t expect to get your advertised top speed.

How ADSL2 works

ADSL, or Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, is simply the technical term for the most common type of broadband internet connection, which uses copper telephone wires to connect you to the internet. Connections are “asymmetric” because download speeds are higher than upload speeds - for example, you might have a top download speed of 24Mb but an upload speed of up to 2.5Mb.

Initially, ADSL allowed users to connect to the internet at speeds of up to 8Mb broadband, but the development of ADSL2 and ADSL2+ allowed the even faster speeds that are available today.

Alternatives to ADSL2+

If you live in Virgin Media's (www.Virginmedia.com) cable broadband area - which covers around 51% of the UK - then you’ve got the option of a great alternative to ADSL broadband. Virgin Media’s fibre optic cable packages offer speeds of up to 10Mb, 20Mb and even 50Mb broadband. And the ISP will be launching an even faster 100Mb package by the end of 2010.

Speeding into the future

In addition to Virgin Media’s 100Mb broadband package, which will be launched by the end of 2010, BT Broadband (www.BT.com) is also rolling out its own fibre optic network. Its BT Infinity packages offer speeds of up to 40Mb broadband and will be available to around 40% of the UK - or some 10 million homes and businesses - by 2012.

This means that you'll soon have the choice of two, nationally available superfast broadband packages - Virgin Media’s XXL broadband and BT’s Infinity packages.

There are also a number of independent fibre optic broadband networks around the country, such as Fibrecity in Bournemouth and Dundee, which already has the capability to offer speeds of over 100Mb.

The three main political parties, Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems, have also set out their plans to ensure that next generation broadband reaches the vast majority of the UK by 2017 - meaning that for many, ADSL2 could soon be relegated to the past as broadband pushes forward at superfast speeds.

Compare broadband deals

Save up to £363* when you include TV and calls with your broadband

CLOSE [X]

*Enter your postcode to find the best broadband deals in your area. We value your privacy, please see our privacy policy.

Why we need your postcode