Using broadband in business

The term "broadband" is used to describe any high-speed connection to the internet. However, there are in fact several different types of broadband connection available in the UK.It also makes sending and receiving large emails far quicker, making it viable to transfer vast amounts of data in the form of attached files.

The main difference between broadband and traditional telephone communications is that broadband is based on digital technology, and the telephone is based on analogue technology. While analogue technology is fine for voice communications it has limitations when it comes to transmitting data. Digital technology is much more precise and accurate, which enables both higher speeds and greater reliability. Currently one of the most common forms of broadband in the UK is asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL), which uses existing telephone lines.

With download speeds of 512kbps (kilobits per second) to 50Mbps (megabits per second), the key feature of broadband is that it is around ten times faster than a standard telephone dial-up connection to the internet. This means that, in general, webpages load almost instantly. It also makes sending and receiving large emails far quicker, making it viable to transfer vast amounts of data in the form of attached files.

In addition, broadband connections are known as always-on connections. This means that when you want to visit a website, or send an email, you can do it straight away - there's no need to wait for your computer to make a dial-up connection