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Broadband Speeds
Moneyfacts Utilities best buys:
Once you've looked at the various different types of broadband internet that are available (e.g. ADSL, Cable, Mobile etc), the next step is to understand how to choose the best deal. The two main things to consider are how fast is the broadband connection and how much is the download limit. The slower the broadband speed and lower the download limit, the cheaper it will be. But, you could end up being frustrated and out of pocket if your broadband speed is too slow or if you regularly download more than your monthly download allowance.
Broadband speeds
If you don't know your megabit from your elbow you could be paying too much for your broadband connection. You may be able to impress your friends with an 8 Mbps broadband speed, but is it worth paying the extra if you only need 2 Mbps?
Internet speeds are measured in megabits per second ("Mbps") and what matters is how they apply to the kind of things you use the internet to do.
|
Broadband speed |
Time to load a
typical webpage |
Time to download a
typical 5 minute song |
Streaming video
quality |
|
56k dial-up modem |
14 sec |
12 min 30 sec |
Low quality |
|
256k broadband |
3 sec |
3 min |
Low quality |
|
512k broadband |
1.6 sec |
1 min 30 sec |
Low quality |
|
1 Mb broadband |
0.8 sec |
41 sec |
Low quality |
|
2 Mb broadband |
0.4 sec |
20 sec |
Medium quality |
|
4 Mb broadband |
0.1 sec |
5 sec |
High quality |
|
6 Mb broadband and above |
Instantaneous |
Instantaneous |
TV quality |
Note: all figures are approximate and actual speeds may be lower.
Take a look at our more detailed guides on ADSL Broadband,
Cable Broadband, Broadband and how to save money on broadband.
Or, go straight ahead and Compare all the Broadband
suppliers and prices for your area.
