Broadband provides high speed internet access. There are different ways of accessing the internet using a broadband connection. Most people use a connection via their existing telephone or cable line. However, broadband is also available using other technologies including radio, satellite and powerlines.

Broadband services are 'always-on'. This means there's no need to dial up to the internet or log off once you've finished surfing. So your e-mails appear immediately without having to log on first.

Most broadband services are unmetered so you pay a flat fee each month with no additional charges for the amount of time you spend online.

However unmetered does not necessarily mean unlimited. To ensure that capacity is shared fairly between users, some service providers limit the number of hours you can spend online (e.g. x hours a month) or the amount of data you can download (e.g. 1 gigabit per day). In most cases, these limits are unlikely to affect the average user. However, unlimited services are widely available so if you are a heavy user, check with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) what restrictions apply before signing up.

The Office of Communications (Ofcom) is an independent regulator for the UK communications industries. Ofcom (which took on the responsibilites previously covered by Oftel and others) wants to see quality, choice and value for money for everyone using broadband internet access in the UK. The Oftel guide (published August 2003) helps broadband consumers take advantage of the wide choice of service providers and broadband Internet packages that are available.

Our broadband glossary will explain some of the more technical terms, that you might encounter in this website and associated guides, in simple language that you can understand.

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# posted by Web Team : 2:46 AM  3 comments