Broadband speed
ne of the best things about a broadband connection compared to a dial up connection is that is provides faster speeds for downloading and uploading. This means that you can enjoy a much richer, interactive Internet experience.
Examples of downloading include:
- Viewing web pages
- Reading and sending emails
- Music downloads
- Video clip downloads
- Watching TV programmes
- Online gaming
Examples of uploading include:
- Sharing photos on social networking sites
- Sharing videos on YouTube or similar sites
Broadband speed is measured in kilobytes per second (Kb/ps) and megabytes per second (Mb/ps). The higher the number of bytes you are able to download per second, the faster the connection. The typical download speed for a dial-up connection is 56Kb/ps, while broadband speeds in the UK can be up to 25Mb/ps.
Broadband packages with faster download speeds normally cost more, however the broadband speed that is right for you largely depends on what type of Internet user you are.
You should always remember that the speed advertised is the maximum you could get, although in reality you may receive considerably less. Distance from the exchange and contention rates are just two of the factors that affect actual speeds.
What is a download cap?
A download cap, also known as a download limit or restriction, is the maximum usage permitted by your broadband provider over a set period, usually per month. Your usage is monitored as the flow of information (uploads and downloads) between your computer and the Internet; it is measured by the number of gigabytes (GB) you download per month.
A gigabyte is a unit of information equal to 1024 megabytes (Mb).
- An average webpage with graphics is about 50Kb in size, so one hour of surfing the web typically uses 10Mb, meaning you’d get around 100 hours of surfing for 1GB.
- One hour of streamed online radio typically uses around 15-20Mb.
- One hour of streamed video typically uses around 100-150Mb.
- Online gaming normally uses 10-15Mb per hour but is dependent on the game. World of Warcraft can use from 4-10Mb per hour, while CSS can be up to 40Mb per hour.
- 100 emails (without attachments) would use approximately 1Mb.
- A six megapixel digital photograph or typical MP3 file is around 2-4Mb, so you could download 300-500 of these images or music files for 1GB of usage.
- A music album is approximately 48Mb.
- A feature film can use approximately 800Mb to 1.4GB.
Some broadband providers offer “unlimited” download caps. In reality, “unlimited” plans are still subject to fair usage policies and will usually incur restrictions on access for users who are well over the average download limit.
What broadband speed do I need?
Just because super-fast broadband speeds are available, it doesn't mean that you need them. To help you decide what speed is right for you, we've put together some typical Internet usage types as a guide.
A light user spends less than ten hours online per week and typically uses the Internet for surfing, emailing and uploading a small number of photographs. For this type of user a 1GB download cap is sufficient, along with a minimum speed of 1Mb/ps. If you are a very light user, 512Kb/ps may be enough.
A light-to-medium user normally uses the Internet for a couple of hours most days for surfing, emailing, uploading photographs or video clips and occasionally downloading a limited number of music and video files. A 2GB download cap and a minimum speed of 2Mb/ps is usually sufficient.
A medium user normally uses the Internet for a few hours every day or there are several members of the household using the connection. Typical usage includes surfing, emailing, VoIP calling, uploading photographs and video clips plus regularly downloading music and video files and playing online games. A 6GB download cap and a minimum speed of 8Mb/ps is usually sufficient.
A heavy user spends over 20 hours per week online or there or several members of the household using the connection. Typical usage includes surfing, emailing, VoIP calling, uploading photographs and video clips plus frequently downloading music, films, video files and playing online games, particularly with multiplayer sessions. A 40GB or unlimited download cap and a minimum speed of at least 8Mb/ps are recommended.
In the final part of our broadband guide we look at how to compare broadband providers and packages to find the deal that's right for you.
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