10 Benefits of fibre broadband

If you are upgrading your broadband or even shopping for a fixed line connection for the first time, you’ll need to choose between a standard ADSL phone line connection and a fast, fibre optic service. As there can be a substantial difference in the price and download speed of these two options, it is a choice you should carefully consider.

A cable or fibre-optic broadband connection at home gives you superfast download speeds, which means quicker and slicker web browsing, seamless streaming and a much more harmonious online experience. Comparing prices on such different broadband services can be rather difficult and time consuming, so we thought we’d outline the benefits of buying fibre optic broadband in order help make your decision a bit easier.

First of all, what is fibre-optic broadband?

If you are upgrading your broadband or even shopping for a fixed line connection for the first time, you’ll need to choose between a standard ADSL phone line connection and a fast, fibre optic service. As there can be a substantial difference in the price and download speed of these two options it is a choice you should carefully consider. 

A cable, or fibre-optic broadband connection at home gives you superfast download speeds, which means quicker and slicker web browsing, seamless streaming and a much more harmonious online experience. But comparing prices on such different broadband services can be rather difficult and time consuming, so we thought we’d outline the benefits of buying fibre optic broadband, to help make your decision a bit easier. 

Is fibre optic the best broadband for streaming services like Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime?

If you’re the kind of person who enjoys watching the latest films online or catching up on episodes of your favourite TV shows, fibre-optic broadband is definitely for you.

You can download a song in a second, or an HD movie in a few minutes, and you can watch videos online without the arduous wait for buffering. This can be really important in the future when you consider where technology is going.

4K Ultra HD content is on the way. Netflix already offers a 4K option and a large number of big studio movies have been shot in 4 and 8K. Streaming this high-resolution content on a standard ADSL connection is not always realistic, so fibre broadband is essential if you are the sort of person who loves watching films, TV and live sport in glorious ultra-high definition.

Netflix actually recommends a minimum connection speed of 25 megabits per second to even attempt to stream 4K ultra HD. If you live in an urban area, it could be possible to achieve this speed. For many homes who want streamed 4K content, fibre optic is by far the best option.

Connect multiple devices to your fibre-optic broadband

The beauty of a superfast connection is that many devices can be attached to your Wi-Fi and everyone will still receive a decent broadband performance.

Fibre-optic broadband is ideal for busy households or for those who love to watch programmes religiously on Netflix. Whether you’re on a tablet, smartphone or laptop, you can enjoy smooth web browsing no matter how many people are using just one connection.

You can also get more out of your fibre broadband set up by optimising your home network. By using certain types of router and QoS controls you can ensure that you have a steady, superfast connection at all times.

Virgin Media’s Super Hub is a router that can help you manage WiFi speeds in your home, so everyone can get a good connection.  The Super Hub uses 5GHz and 2.4GHz signals to make sure that all devices stay fast. For example, your phone and tablet might use the 5GHz signal but your Smart TV or Playstation 4 might use the 2.4GHz signal. This means that the devices won’t be competing for bandwidth on the same signal spectrum.

Routers such as the Super Hub also enable parents to protect their children from harmful online content with easy to use parental controls.

Is fibre broadband really superfast? Impressive download speeds are available

So far, fibre-optic broadband has achieved speeds almost four times faster than standard ADSL broadband, with many people across the UK now benefitting from the new digital technology.

An example of impressive download speeds is Virgin Media, which upgraded all its packages with better megabit expectations, with the top-tier deal offering up to 152Mb.

Use our postcode checker to find out what broadband deals are offered in your area and see if they can exceed your current service. Fibre broadband is also not available everywhere, though this is improving. This means that unfortunately, you may be living somewhere that has not been connected with fibre optic cable.

Fibre-optic - a reliable connection

Because of how fast this type of connection performs, you’re sure to have a reliable service each day and night, that doesn’t struggle under the strain of demanding online tasks.

This is especially useful if you run your business from home, as it gives you the peace of mind that you can remain connected to your clients and deliver great customer service around the clock.

Can fibre optic broadband help you work from home?

There are times when you need to work from home, but still keep in touch with everything that’s happening back at the office.

Superfast broadband offers excellent download speeds so you’re able to join in with conference calls and receive large files, helping you keep up to date with your work schedule.

Furthermore, if you’re working through peak times your fibre-optic broadband won’t be affected.

Superfast broadband lets you work whenever it’s convenient for you.

Music streaming & download speed on Fibre Optic - Music within seconds

Digital music is a part of most people’s lives nowadays. The internet has made music more obtainable to everyone than at any point in human history.

With fibre broadband, you can download an entire album in a minute, which can be bad news for your bank account when your iTunes bill comes in! The time between clicking buy to listening is reduced massively.

Another factor to consider is streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. These services can be much more seamless with a better connection. With fibre broadband, you can start listening to your playlists quicker and you won’t have to put up with any annoying pauses due to buffering.

Smart TV’s and broadband – Big speeds for the big screen

Not only can you connect your smartphone and tablet to your broadband, Smart TVs are also becoming a popular feature in the home.

With fibre-optic broadband, you’ll be able to watch on-demand content without waiting a long time for the media to load. This is suitable for those who have busy social lives and need to keep up with their favourite series after it’s been aired.

Crystal clear video calling

When you have family in different countries, cities or towns, fibre-optic broadband can ensure you stay in contact through video chat without struggling through a dodgy connection.

Catch up across the web and chat away as if you’re in the same room, and with an unlimited package, you don’t need to worry about usage.

The big superfast broadband rollout

Virgin Media was the first to deliver fibre-optic broadband through its own network cables and has upgraded its packages to offer even better downloads, with top speeds of 152Mb.

Under the government’s Broadband Delivery UK scheme, BT won all the local contracts to bring superfast broadband to even more people in the country. By 2015, fibre-optic will be available to 95% of homes and businesses, with speeds of at least 2Mb.

Comparing Fibre-optic broadband deals – which provider should you go for?

So you’ve seen the benefits, checked whether your street is connected and you’ve decided that fibre optic broadband is for you, but you should hold on a second before you jump in!

Many of the UK’s leading providers now offer superfast broadband deals, providing your home with the latest technology. Sometimes, however, it’s best to get your new superfast connection as part of a bundle.

Sky, BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk all offer bundled packages with fibre optic broadband. Sometimes it can be more cost effective to take a bundled deal than go for a standalone broadband or broadband and phone tariff.

You can compare a wide selection of broadband deals on broadband compared to find the ideal superfast connection for you. Simply enter your postcode in the box above and we’ll be able to tell you which providers offer cable broadband to your address.