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Broadband Speed and Performance

What is broadband · Broadband types · Speed and performance · Usage and costs · Package combinations

Broadband speeds are measured in Mbps, which is a rate of data transfer equal to how many megabits per second can be transferred from a website or another user's computer to your machine. The higher the speed or bandwidth, the faster the Internet connection.

Mbps should not be confused with megabytes, which is a measurement used in reference to hard drive space, not broadband speed.

Before purchasing a broadband package it is important to understand which broadband speed best meets your internet requirements.

Surfing the net

If you use or plan to use the internet mainly for surfing the net, shopping, chatting and emails, then a connection speed of ‘up to 8Mbps’ broadband, which is now the standard speed offered by most ISP’s, will be more than adequate. This is a variable speed product where your provider will give you the maximum speed that your line can support, hence the term ‘up to 8Mbps’. This broadband speed is also suitable for playing games and downloading small media files.

If you intend to regularly stream music and videos, download large files like movies, play demanding online games, or share the broadband connection between many users, you will be better off going for higher speeds of up to 24Mbps. Such ultra-fast speeds are offered by some internet providers, but often at a high price.

Broadband performance

It is important to note that the overall performance of your broadband connection will be affected by the distance from your local telephone exchange and the quality of the copper (if signing up for ADSL); the amount of user traffic in your local area (if signing up for cable); the type of modem or router you use; and the specifications of your computer.

Most ISPs will publish a list of required system specifications for their products.

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