Broadband - Wanna Go Faster?

There has been a lot written about the speed of broadband connections, but for most users it takes a back seat to just getting the work done. With the debate on whether there is a justified need for money to be spent on high-speed fibre networks still raging, is it really all about connection speed?

According to a recent survey, some 21 million Brits (or around 63% of those online) visited sites related to multimedia - including TV, movie and video sites - and services such as YouTube and BBC iPlayer have seen increases in visitors as internet habits change constantly.

Gone are the days when hopping online used to be just to check e-mails and do a bit of surfing - with most of the traffic online now pointing towards video-dominated applications and social networking sites. Virtual worlds such as Second Life are also evolving, and a faster connection would allow for HD 2-way video conferencing - paving the way for events such as concerts and other performances to take place in a virtual setting.

But whilst faster broadband would seem to benefit online gamers, the demand for more bandwidth from the general population is still low, and there are still issues to be solved with regards to the existing broadband infrastructure. The fluctuating 'supply and demand' factor of broadband means companies such as BT face a 'chicken and egg' dilemma about whether to invest billions in developing newer and faster networks.

In countries like South Korea - which is often regarded as being the most technically advanced nation when it comes to broadband - with customers in the cities enjoying average speeds of between 50 to 100Mbps (Megabits per second) - consider that a typical 5 minute music file takes roughly one and a half minutes to download on a 512K connection, where as in direct comparison - on an 8Mbps connection the download would be instantaneous.

Online gaming in Korea is very popular, and with cheap broadband services offering high bandwidth and fast download speeds, which in turn leads to faster upload speeds - a must for professional gamers.

Whilst online gaming is likely to take a percentage of the next-generation broadband capacity, few think it could be the application that makes a big impression in the mass market.

Television is also changing, broadband providers now offering a range of services to stream signals down our phone lines and provide us with internet, phone and television down the same line. The popularity of sites such as YouTube has led to a change in our viewing habits - with a percentage of us now choosing to view shows streamed over our broadband connection.

With High-Definition (HD) technology now becoming more widespread, the demand for a faster connection to ensure a clearer and more reliable service is sure to become a factor as more consumers choose to receive their television signal down the same line as their broadband service.

Compare a range of broadband providers to find a cheap broadband deal that suits you.

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