
Getting to grips with broadband can be confusing. We're here to fix that. Read on and we'll help you make sense of broadband speeds and walk you through the different types of connections on offer.
What is broadband?
Broadband is a type of high-speed internet connection. It's much faster than the dial-up connections of the 1990s and early-2000s, and is available in 99% of UK households as of 2024.
How does broadband connect to your home?
Typically, you access broadband from a router. This provides both a wireless (Wi-Fi) and a wired connection (via ethernet cables) to connect to the internet.
Broadband is delivered into your home or business through a few different methods, each with its own benefits and drawbacks.
Why do I need broadband?
Broadband is every bit as essential to modern homes as running water and heating. It'll enable you to send emails, use the internet to catch up on news and socials, apply for jobs and take care of life admin.
Broadband is also your passport to entertainment, allowing you to watch videos on sites like YouTube and via streaming services such as Netflix and Prime Video. And you’ll be able to listen to music and play games online, too.
What types of broadband can I get?
- ADSL stands for asymmetric digital subscriber line, also known as standard broadband. It provides an internet connection through the same line as your home phone
- FTTC (sometimes called 'part-fibre') is basic fibre broadband, available in most UK homes and is how you're most likely connected to the internet. It uses fibre optic cables to connect to your local street cabinet and copper cables to connect the cabinet to your premises. With FTTC, you can expect download speeds anywhere from 30 to 250Mbps, which is enough for most households
- Cable broadband (co-axial) is similar to fibre, but uses co-axial cables to connect your home or business to the local street cabinet. Currently, only Virgin Media use this type of broadband connection
- Full fibre broadband connects your home to the internet using nothing but fibre optic cables, meaning it doesn't rely on slower copper or coaxial cabling at all. Setup can take a little longer but the benefits are huge. Full fibre, on average, has better upload speeds, download speeds, and latency compared against copper-based technologies and Virgin Media's coaxial cabling. As of July 2024, full fibre is available in 61% of the UK, with Northern Ireland leading the way at 91% coverage.
- Beyond fixed broadband, 5G home broadband is becoming more commonplace and can deliver speeds rivalling fibre. With mobile broadband, there's no engineer visit required, as you're using the same kind of internet signal found in your phone
Can I access the internet without broadband?
If you don't have access to a fixed broadband connection, you can still get online with a mobile internet connection.
4G and 5G mobile internet is delivered via a network of phone masts and is the service that connects your mobile phone to the internet while you're out and about.
If, for whatever reason, you're temporarily unable to get a fixed line broadband service at your home and can't get online with your other internet-enabled gadgets, you can turn your phone into a stand-in router by heading to the settings section of your phone. Then you just need to turn on the 'personal hotspot' option.
If your home isn't equipped for fixed line broadband and you need a longer-term solution, you may want to look at Three's home broadband offering, which uses mobile internet technology and delivers speeds that compare very well with a fixed line service. Best of all, it doesn't require any installation.
Does 'broadband' and 'Wi-Fi' mean the same thing?
It's a good question. Not least because the two terms are often used interchangeably. But, for clarity, broadband is the connection into your home and refers to the service that gets you online, whereas 'Wi-Fi' is the technology that allows you to connect to the internet without having to plug cables or wires into your internet-enabled devices.
Is a wired broadband connection stronger than Wi-Fi?
Yes, a wired broadband connection is generally faster and more robust than Wi-Fi. The reason it's more consistent is that the signal is being sent directly to the device, rather than being broadcasted over the air, so there's less chance of interference.
What’s more, a wired connection is typically less prone to 'latency' too. Sometimes known as ‘ping’ or ‘lag’, this refers to the delay between data being sent and the response being registered.
When your ‘latency/ping’ is low, you can expect a better and more responsive online gaming experience.
What broadband speed do I need?
The minimum broadband speed we’d recommend is at least 10Mbps, which is the average for a low-cost, ADSL, standard broadband package. That’ll get you a fast enough connection to send emails, browse the internet and shop online and is probably best suited to people who live alone or with one other person.
If you have more people using the internet in your home (perhaps three or four people), it’s smarter to opt for a package with a speed of 30Mbps-60Mbps. You can get these speeds with a standard fibre broadband package.
And if you live in a multiple occupancy home (perhaps a student household) and you or your co-habitants work from home, or like to watch HD video or play games online, we’d recommend you plump for a package with 60Mbps-1Gbps.
The packages that will get you the kind of speeds at the higher end of that range typically use full-fibre broadband technology, which isn't as widely available as standard fibre and ADSL broadband.
Do I need a landline to get broadband?
The majority of broadband providers require you to have a physical phone line at your address in order to get broadband. That’s because broadband is delivered to your home via the same cables as a home telephone service.
This applies for standard broadband and standard fibre packages from the likes of BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Plusnet, Vodafone, EE,
However, that’s not to say that you have to have a landline telephone set up in your home. It all depends on the provider and package you choose.
- While some providers include a landline connection for free as part of your package, it’s entirely your call whether you want to plug in a landline phone and use it to make calls.
- Other providers let you choose if you want a landline phone when you sign up. If you opt to take one, the connection and phone number are included as part of your package and you can plug in a phone and make calls. Alternatively these providers offer broadband-only packages, which won’t include a phone number and you won’t be able to use the landline at all. These usually come at a discount, too.
- If you opt for a full fibre package (which may or may not be available where you live), you won’t need a landline connection to get their broadband service at all. You can choose to get one as part of your package, but it’s certainly not required. Providers that offer this include Virgin Media and Hyperoptic. Find out more in our one-stop guide to full fibre broadband.
Keen to know more? Get up to speed with guide to whether you need a landline.