Broadband Speeds |
You will see from our Broadband comparison tables that each plan has a different speed rating. So what is the difference between a 256kb and a 1.5mb Broadband plan. Internet speed is measured in kilobits per second, so a 1.5mb link is approximately 6 times faster than the 25kb link.
The table below seeks to give you a quick reference as to the typical download times you can expect from a given Broadband link speed rating. You have to understand though, that these speeds are the maximum you can expect.
| Connection Speed |
Typical Web Page* |
Typical 5-minute song^ |
Streaming Video Quality |
| 56K dial-up modem |
14 seconds |
12 minutes 30 seconds |
|
| 256K broadband |
3 seconds |
3 minutes |
Low Quality |
| 512K broadband |
1.6 seconds |
1 minute 30 seconds |
Low Quality |
| 1Mb broadband |
0.8 seconds |
41 seconds |
Low - Medium Quality |
| 2Mb broadband |
0.4 seconds |
20 seconds |
Medium Quality |
| 4Mb broadband |
0.1 seconds |
5 seconds |
Medium Quality |
| 6Mb broadband |
Instant |
Instant |
Medium - High Quality |
| 8Mb broadband |
Instant |
Instant |
High Quality |
|
Key: *assuming 100 kilobytes of data ^assuming a 5 megabyte MP3 file |
| Note: all figures are approximate, and represent best-case download speeds. Actual speeds will generally be slightly lower. |
The table above should be used simply as a guide, as actual speeds attained will usually be lower than quoted.
So, which do you choose given these figures? That's like asking how long is a piece of string. It all depends on what you want your Broadband Internet for. If you simply want to surf standard web pages without video, music etc. then the lower end Broadband 256k speed will do. However, more and more websites these days are more than just text and low quality graphics. Flash animations, sound, games and high quality graphics are more wide spread.
Let's band these plans together then.
- 256k - 512k: Will really only be sufficient to view relatively uncomplex web pages and to use email.
- 1mb - 2mb: Probably the best general all-round package for most people. Web surfing will be quick, emails instant, and video streaming will be adequate. Probably not good for high quality videos or online gaming.
- 4mb - 8mb: Best option if you want to play games online, download loads of music and video or you share your connection with other people in the household, via a wireless network or similar.
That's about it for Broadband speeds, however, you have to be aware that some plans are lmited to the amount of useage you are allowed per month. See the Download Limits section for a list of these.
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