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The Confusion of Broadband ISP Speeds – Megabits vs MegaBytes

2nd Apr, 2015 (4 Comments)

Getting the data size or Internet transfer speed measurement for Megabits and MegaBytes or Gigabits and GigaBytes back to front is an easy mistake, albeit one that seems to have become increasingly common. But it’s also an error that gives an entirely different meaning to what you’re trying to say, so why do so many organisations and people get it wrong?

Summary of the UK Best Broadband ISPs for 2015 – ISPreview.co.uk Picks

5th Jan, 2015 (25 Comments)

Choosing the right broadband ISP for your needs can sometimes seem a bit like swimming with sharks, you’re never quite sure which one will end up biting you first. The quality of customer support and Internet speeds that vary due to a variety of often opaque factors are also a big cause of frustration. But with a little luck our annual editors pick might help. IMPORTANT: This article has now been superseded by the new 2016 edition – The Best Broadband ISPs for 2016.

The Top Broadband ISP Technology and Internet Policy Changes for 2014-15

2nd Jan, 2015 (12 Comments)

The past year has been all about technology and deployment, with the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK scheme dominating via its efforts to push BT’s 80Mbps capable Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC / VDSL2) service out to even more areas, but a lot more than that has happened. ISPreview.co.uk highlights some the key Internet technology, policy and anti-piracy developments of 2014 and predicts what might occur in 2015.

Broadband Router Options for UK Superfast FTTC ISPs – 2015 UPDATE

30th Dec, 2014 (23 Comments)

It’s been a year since ISPreview.co.uk published our first summary guide of home broadband routers with integrated VDSL2 (FTTC) modems (here), which are designed to be used with superfast ‘up to’ 80Mbps capable “fibre broadband” offering ISPs (BT, TalkTalk and Sky Broadband etc.). Since then the options have increased and so here’s our new selection for 2015.

Top of the Worst – Annual Summary of UK ISP Advertising Complaints

29th Dec, 2014 (12 Comments)

Mirror.. mirror on the wall, which broadband ISP will suffer the most upheld advertising complaints of them all. As another year passes by, ISPreview.co.uk takes a quick look back to see how many complaints fixed line broadband providers garnered from the United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and whether tougher action is needed to stop abuse.

Interview – Hyperoptic Talks UK 1000Mbps Broadband Coverage, TV and Uptake

10th Nov, 2014 (6 Comments)

It’s been three years since Hyperoptic stepped out from the ashes of BE Broadband to became one of the first ISPs to build an ultrafast (1000Mbps) Fibre-to-the-Building (FTTP) broadband network for homes in London. Some doubted their prospects, but the gamble paid off and now the ISPs boss, Dana Pressman Tobak, has stopped back at ISPreview.co.uk to give us an update.

ITS Technology Talks Fair Fibre Optic Marketing and Broadband Rollouts

20th Oct, 2014 (1 Comment)

The Chief Executive Officer of IT services provider and fibre optic builder ITS Technology, Roy Shelton (MBA), has told ISPreview.co.uk as part our exclusive interview that broadband development in the United Kingdom “cannot only rely on the public sector for investment” and more must be done to foster the smaller and more agile operators.

Interview – BDUK CEO Talks FTTP, Council Broadband Maps and BT Competition

8th Sep, 2014 (15 Comments)

A lot has been said about the ups and downs of the Government’s national Broadband Delivery UK scheme, not least with regards to the lack of detailed coverage maps, BT’s dominance of the contract(s) and how the final gap of 5% will be closed. ISPreview.co.uk has today roped in the CEO of BDUK, Christopher Townsend, to answer some of the most common queries.

AVM Interview – The Future of FTTC and Ultrafast Broadband Routers

1st Sep, 2014 (3 Comments)

Most broadband ISP consumers in the United Kingdom are probably familiar with major Internet router and modem kit manufacturers like NetGear, Asus and so forth. But many probably won’t be as familiar with the name AVM, which has recently become much better known thanks to their latest line of advanced but affordable ADSL and VDSL (FTTC) FRITZ!Box routers.

Let’s Stop Having Different UK Definitions for “Superfast Broadband”

26th Aug, 2014 (27 Comments)

What is “superfast” or “fibre broadband“? The answer seems to vary depending upon whether or not you’re asking a Local Authority (council), the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) office, mobile operators or the national telecoms regulator. The situation has become ridiculously confusing.

The Forgotten Importance of Broadband Internet Upload Speeds

20th Aug, 2014 (60 Comments)

Hands up if your broadband ISP makes the upload (upstream) speed of your Internet package clear on their advertising? We thought not. Sadly only a few of the major ISPs even bother to advertise upload performance and those that do only tend to show it on certain products. But how fast you can push information into the online world does matter and its importance is growing.

Do We Really Need “Superfast” Broadband?

27th Jul, 2014 (62 Comments)

Do we really need 1Mbps, 10Mbps, 100Mbps or even 1000Mbps (1Gbps) of Internet download and upload speed to enjoy the online world? It’s an interesting question and one with many different answers, usually depending upon both your perspective and personal expectations. But how much Internet speed is really enough?

Interview – CityFibre Talk 1Gb FTTP Rollout with Sky Broadband and TalkTalk

9th Jun, 2014 (17 Comments)

The Director of Strategy and Policy at urban fibre optic developer CityFibre, Mark Collins, has today revealed more to ISPreview.co.uk about their Joint Venture plans with Sky Broadband and TalkTalk to roll-out an “ultra-fast” 1000Mbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP/H) broadband network for UK homes in three cities, starting with York.

UPDATE2 Breaking Down the UK Costs of 330Mbps FTTP on Demand Broadband

28th Apr, 2014 (52 Comments)

BTOpenreach’s new FTTP on Demand (FoD) product offers the attractive potential for anybody within reach of an FTTC capable line to order a full fibre optic broadband connection, which can deliver stable speeds of 330Mbps (30Mbps uploads) using Fibre-to-the-Premises technology. But have cost and confusion killed the attraction.

4G Mobile Broadband Could Doom Public WiFi Wireless Internet Hotspots

23rd Apr, 2014 (9 Comments)

Public WiFi hotspots have become increasingly common over the past few years and now even the government’s £150m Super-Connected Cities Programme (SCCP) is seeking to boost their coverage. But is such investment becoming a waste of money and might we be about to witness the end of public wifi as we know it.

The Tricky Question of Censorship and Age Verification via Broadband ISPs

17th Apr, 2014 (5 Comments)

One of the more puzzling aspects of the on-going political debate over Internet censorship (Parental Controls) is the issue of Age Verification, which has some politicians aggressively calling for a system that can verify an Internet user’s age before the ISPs network-level filters can be disabled. But is it even possible and do we really need it?

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The Importance of Connecting ADSL and FTTC Broadband via Twisted Pair Cable

3rd Feb, 2014 (11 Comments)

It’s often painfully easy to find yourself buying or receiving the wrong sort of RJ11 telephone cable to connect between a BT faceplate / master socket and your ISPs broadband ADSL / VDSL (FTTC) modem or router. Sadly this can have an impact on your lines performance so it’s important to understand why and if you should care.