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Broadband versus fibre broadband

October 8th, 2011


Note: This is a guest post by Chris Marling. If you’re interested to guest post here, drop me a line.

As more and more people start to get the option of upgrading from standard broadband to fibre broadband (called UniFi by Telekom Malaysia), the obvious question arises – is it worth it?

This is not a question with a simple answer, as it very depends on your circumstances. Let’s look through some of the key areas you need to think about before making your decision.

Traditional broadband
With speeds between 1Mb and 4Mb, traditional broadband will probably still be fast enough for many consumers. However businesses, homes with multiple internet gadgets and heavy users should really think about upgrading. But don’t automatically think you are losing out. At these slower speeds, many of the most popular online activities should still work fine as long as you have a reliable connection.

If you are just using your broadband to check email, use social networking websites and surf the internet, normal broadband should be fine. You will also be able to download files and stream audio and video, although you may experience some long download times for large files (maybe even overnight) and face some buffering on streaming sites.

If these are the only activities you do, you should be OK to stick with traditional broadband. You might instead want to spend a little time and money on making sure you current connection is as good as possible.

For example, wired connections should prove faster and will work better if your broadband comes direct from the main telephone wall socket in your building (extra wiring can slow things down). On Wi-Fi, try different channels to see if you can improve your speeds as other devices may be interfering (simple instructions to do this should come with your router).

Switching to super-fast fibre broadband
If you download a lot of large files, stream a lot of video and play online games, you should seriously consider upgrading to fibre broadband. It will transform the way you experience the internet and open the door to a far superior broadband experience. As well as having a service that could be up to 20 times as fast, you will also enjoy much higher monthly download limits to go with it.

In a home with multiple internet devices, this should make a big difference. Everyone should be able to get online at the same time, while you won’t have to worry about how much you download (within reason of course!). Even if a few people are gaming, things should still speed along nicely.

When it comes to downloads, it really is a big deal to have fibre broadband – whole HD films can be downloaded in a matter of minutes, rather than hours. And streaming should be a breeze too, as long as the source you’re streaming from is putting out the signal fast enough (don’t forget, the problem isn’t always at your end). And finally, online gamers will really notice the difference. Both patching and lag issues should largely be a thing of the past.

In the end, you need to think carefully about both cost and requirements when it comes to deciding between normal and fibre broadband. For now, standard users can probably do without – but it won’t be too long before we all start using more advanced and bandwidth heavy services.

About the Author: Chris Marling writes on behalf of Broadband Genie, the UK price comparison website for fibre optic broadband, mobile broadband and smartphones.

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