alt="Technology Services" />A standard modem has a connection speed of up to 56 kilobits per second (Kbps), which is a measure of how fast information is transmitted. Broadband is a generic term for any way of connecting to the internet at faster than 256Kbps.
Today in ireland there are a number of options available when it comes to accessing broadband here are details of the three main options available to you.
Internet connection options:
ADSL
(Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), as offered by Eircom and other providers, is by far the most common form of broadband.
However, there is a wide range of options depending on your location, needs and budget. Broadband services are developing constantly which means prices are falling and speeds are increasing rapidly.
Because most people download more information than they send, many types of broadband are ‘asymmetric’ – that is, they have different speeds for downloading and uploading information.
The speeds usually quoted are maximum speeds per second; the actual speed will depend on the number of people with whom you are sharing your connection – the so-called ‘contention ratio’.
Wireless Broadband (Fixed Wireless Access, FWA)
For those who cannot access broadband through their phone line or choose not to there are a couple of alternatives. Firstly Wireless access does not depend on your phone line or telephone exchange therefore it is a decent alternative.
It does need a ‘line of sight’ to your home, so if your house is surrounded by hills or large trees you may have difficulty obtaining wireless broadband access to the Internet. Wireless broadband compares favourably for speed and cost to the phone line alternative, particularly where it is provided through a group scheme.
Satellite Broadband
Similar to Wireless broadband, this broadband option does not rely on the phone line or telephone exchange. Again, satellite broadband does need a ‘line of sight’ to your home, so if your house is surrounded by hills or large trees you may have difficulty obtaining satellite broadband access to the Internet.
Because the Internet is delivered to your home via a satellite a great distance away, there are concerns that this type of access is not ideal due to delays or ‘latency’ in the service. This is mainly a problem if you are using the Internet to play Internet games. Satelitte broadband compares favourably for speed and cost to the phone line or wireless alternatives, particularly where it is provided through a group scheme.
Checkout our boadband availability and service providers information on our
Broadband page.
