Broadband beginners guide
Why get broadband?
Broadband internet access has become a must-have in home efficiency and entertainment, allowing you to access your bank account, make dinner reservations and watch TV programmes online. But is it really all it’s cracked up to be? Would you be better off with a dial up connection, or should you dive straight in with broadband? Below is a list of the benefits of broadband to help you make up your mind.
Stay online all day and control your internet costs
Because broadband services are charged monthly, you will pay a fixed rate for your connection – for this rate, you can access the internet as many times as you like, for as long as you like. And, when the bill comes through, there won’t be any nasty surprises.
Use the phone at the same time
Broadband internet access splits your phone line, so your internet and phone operate on separate systems. This means you can stay online for as long as you want without worrying about hogging the phone, and check emails or information online while chatting.
Fast downloading
Downloading a large file (or even a small one) with a dial up connection is time consuming and expensive. With broadband, you can download a song in a matter of seconds, and a whole album in a fraction of the time it would take to listen to. Broadband internet access is now up to 480 times faster than dial up, making it quick and simple to download graphics, animation, video and images. You can easily find and download TV images such as news and entertainment clips. And the time you spend downloading won’t cost any extra.
Learning resources for children
If you’re considering broadband internet access for a family computer, you’ll want to know how your kids can benefit. There is a whole host of information on the internet, and if your children are studying for exams or doing coursework, they can use specialised learning resources (such as BBC Bitesize revision aids for Key Stage 2 to AS Level), reference websites (encyclopaedias, dictionaries and language sites) and learning forums. For information on restricting children’s broadband internet access, see our article on Internet Safety.
Online content
Broadband internet access allows you to benefit from a great range of online resources. News sites in particular are constantly developing new initiatives, and many will allow you to download a "desktop ticker", which scrolls the latest news across the bottom of your screen 24 hours a day. This is only possible with broadband, as a broadband internet connection is always on. You can also listen to live digital radio or play back TV shows you’ve missed from earlier in the week.
With all this choice available, you need to thinks about your needs as a user to find the right package for you. Use our Calculator to compare services and providers.
Does this affect you? Want to add a comment?
Tell us about it.
|
|
|
Copyright © 2005-2012 Broadbandchoices.co.uk. All rights reserved. (v5.72)
