Fast Broadband Plans

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1	30GB Peak + 60GB off-peak for 12months. 30GB off-peak after 12months	NAKED	24m	20Mbps	30GB	$60
2	Free Modem or $25credit. No Setup fee. $23.96/month in contract	ADSL2	24m	20Mbps	5GB	$29.95
3	Inc. phone line. Unltd local & national calls. Unltd calls to GSM mobiles	BUNDLE	24m	20Mbps	UNLTD	$129
4	Cable inc. phone line. Unltd local & national calls. Unltd calls to Aus GSM mobiles	BUNDLE	24m	20Mbps	UNLTD	$129
5	Cable inc. phone line. Unltd local & national calls. Unltd calls to Aus GSM mobiles	CABLE	24m	20Mbps	UNLTD	$129
6	7GB Peak + 14GB off-peak for 12months. 7GB off-peak after 12months	NAKED	24m	20Mbps	7GB	$49.99
7	30GB Peak + 60GB off-peak for 12months. 30GB off-peak after 12months	CABLE	24m	20Mbps	30GB	$60
8	30GB Peak + 60GB off-peak for 12months. 30GB off-peak after 12months	NAKED	24m	20Mbps	30GB	$70
9	Inc. phone line. Unltd local & national calls. Unltd calls to Optus GSM mobiles	BUNDLE	24m	20Mbps	4GB	$79
10	No contract DSL	ADSL2	0m	20Mbps	7GB	$49.99

Fast Broadband?

Just what is fast broadband and what sort of speeds can you expect?

These are questions that any new or seasoned Internet user wants to know, especially if they are signing up for a new high-speed Internet connection.

So let’s look at what you can expect and also examine some of the factors that impact on that speed.

The two fastest broadband Internet services are ADSL2+ and cable.

How Fast Is ADSL 2+?

In theory ADSL2+ as upload speed of 1.4 Mbit per second and download speed of 12 Mbit per second. The interesting thing is that it has a theoretical download speed of 24 Mbit per second. This is important to know when you are looking at signing up for a plan, because the theoretical speed touted by some providers has to be taken with a grain of salt, as actual speeds can be a little lower.

That is not to say that the Internet connection speeds are slow, far from it. At the speeds available you will have no trouble downloading your favourite movies and songs in very quick time, and surfing the net will be a breeze. You will be able to download very large files and play online games with high graphic resolution. Streaming radio and television are also much more feasible on ADSL2+ as well as VoIP connections which are almost identical to normal phone line quality.

How Fast Is Cable?

Cable Internet speeds vary in different parts of the country. In major capitals, particularly Melbourne and Sydney, the quoted speeds up to 30Mbit per second, and 17Mbit per second in other parts of the country. With line upgrading taking place all the time higher speeds are being reached in other capitals as well.

At the highest speeds you could expect an 850 Mb movie to download in as little as 10 minutes.

But there are limiting factors that affect the speed which individual users will experience. As you are probably aware, cable Internet connections are provided through dedicated cable from the nearest telephone exchange. As more households order cable connections, the main cable is split to enable those houses to share the connection, making the signal a little weaker each time. This process results in slower download speeds than the ones originally quoted above.

Another limiting factor is the distance from the exchange. The further away you are, the slower the speed, it’s as simple as that.

Once again this does not mean that the overall speed is slow. You will still experience speeds similar to ADSL2+, but there is no need to share the telephone line for your connection to be effected.

When you’re looking for a high-speed Internet connection, take into account the above factors. The main difference between cable and ADSL2+ is not necessarily the speed. The options that come with ADSL2+ or any ADSL connection could be more important than the speed. So it all comes down to your individual choice based upon your needs.

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