Types of broadband

The type of broadband available to a business depends on its location. The most widespread form of broadband available is asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL), as offered by many providers. In addition, broadband is available via cable, satellite and wireless in various parts of the country. Between ADSL, satellite, cable and wireless almost 100 per cent of the UK is covered.

ADSL makes use of existing telephone lines and you can receive it if your premises are near a broadband-enabled exchange. It offers download speeds of 512kbps (kilobits per second) to 24Mbps (megabits per second) and upload speeds of 256kbps to 1,331kbps. In certain areas of the country it is now possible to access broadband speeds of 24Mb. You need to check with your provider to see if your area is enabled.

If you can't get ADSL broadband, there are other options. Broadband is also available by cable in certain areas, and through satellite and wireless solutions in many areas not covered by ADSL and cable. However cable tends to be available only in densely populated domestic areas where it is primarily used to deliver TV services. As such it often does not reach business premises.

Another option for businesses with high data or bandwidth requirements is a symmetric digital subscriber line (SDSL). SDSL is particularly useful for businesses hosting their own website or mail servers or those who want to be able to send and receive data at the same speed. SDSL offers speeds of 512kbps to 2Mbps. To use SDSL services you will require a new line dedicated to SDSL and a dedicated router.