What is ADSL?
ADSL is an acronym for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. It was the improved step up from the traditional dial-up Internet connections that used to make use of modems and telephone lines. ADSL still makes use of copper telephone lines, but it is much faster than the old method because the lines are split.The one frequency on the lines is used to carry calls that are made or received and the other is used to enable data transmission. This allows for a faster connection speed and allows you to receive and make calls whilst using the Internet.
What is Fibre Optic?
The use of the Internet has grown considerably and this increase in demand required an updated and faster method of access. To provide this service, network providers came up with a solution called fibre optic broadband.This method makes use of cables to deliver a broadband connection. These cables contain individual fibres made of silica glass, the thickness of a human hair. These are coated in plastic and protected by being placed within a tube, which goes under the ground.
The light signals of each fibre is always reflected back to the centre of the fibre, which makes for virtually no speed reduction, irrespective of the distance it has to travel or if it has to travel around corners. This means that if you are a fibre optic broadband user, you are obtaining your service at the speed of light.
With fibre you can have broadband only and drop the phone line in some circumstances.
Speed
Your broadband speed is of utmost importance as it determines the speed at which your data is delivered to your computer. At present, the average speed of broadband in the United Kingdom is 14.7 megabits per second. It is however improving and becoming faster constantly.
The speed you are able to obtain allows you to view movies and play games online without having to worry about a long wait time for buffering. The higher the speed of your broadband, the faster you will be able to download video and audio files.
ADSL Speed
Modems have improved significantly since the days of dial-up Internet. ADSL and the modems are much faster than dial-up connections. According to Ofcom, the average actual speed of ADSL is about 6Mbps, however providers generally advertise speeds of up to 14 megabits per second. According to Ofcom, the speeds for ADSL2+ could be up to about 11Mbps. The providers of this service advertise the speed of this service as up to 16Mbps.The main reason for the disparity in actual and advertised speeds is because copper lines are not able to transmit data effectively over long distances. This means that the actual speed of your service is dependent on the distance between the local exchange and your home.
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| Image Credits: www.cable.co.uk |
Fibre Optic Speed
The speed of fibre optic broadband could be as much as five times that of ADSL.This means that your downloads will be faster, you will not experience problems with gaming and video streaming will be smoother.The most common speeds available on this type of network are up to 38 megabits per second. BT offers speeds of up to 76 megabits per second and this service is also used by most of the other providers. Virgin Media is the forerunner in this department as it runs an independent cable network which offers speeds of up to 100Mbps.
In some areas, this could be as high as 120Mbps. Ofcom has stated the speeds as 44.6Mbps. Of the packages that Ofcom tested, Virgin Media’s advertised package of 120Mbps was in fact the fastest, at an actual speed of 112.6 megabits per second.
BT is in the process of upgrading its fibre optic technology and is targeting speeds of 50 times that of the average in the UK. This service is not yet available to many people, but BT is advertising their Infinity 3 package to reach speeds of up to 160Mbps. Their Infinity 4 package is said to reach speeds of up to 300Mbps.
In view of the need for speed as far as broadband is considered, and with promised speeds of up to 300Mbps in the near future, you can safely state that fibre optic broadband is the better option when compared to ADSL.
Availability
The coverage for each service varies and is dependent on your chosen network provider and the area in which you reside. The best method to check what is available in your area is to make use of a website such as uSwitch to compare the available offerings.
ADSL
This is most widely available system and at the moment is available to about 99.9% of all premises in the UK. It makes use of the telephone connections that are already in place, so if you have a telephone line or you are able to get a telephone line installed, you should be able to get ADSL broadband.
Fibre Optic
The availability of fibre optic broadband still has to catch up for it to be a contender in this arena. The coverage in the UK is growing constantly, so even though you may not have access to it already, you should have access in the near future.
The fibre optic service offered by BT Infinity is available across about 62% of the United Kingdom. Virgin Media’s fibre optic service covers about 50% of the UK at the moment. Both these providers are hard at work with expansion of their networks.
This is in view of the target the government has set for 90% of the UK’s population to have access to superfast broadband services by 2015. Since ADSL has been around for longer and the service is offered to a larger section of the populace, it would have to take the prize in the section related to availability.
As far as costs are concerned, ADSL is cheaper, but that would not be comparing like with like. Your best option is to make a fair comparison, taking into account the speed you can obtain and the stability of the service.
Phil Turner