What is Comcast Broadband?

What is Comcast Broadband? By Cindy Heller

There are so many internet options available to the consumer and one of the most popular internet service is Comcast broadband services. It can be confusing to try to decide which service to go with. If you have done your homework, you will find a service that will meet your personal daily needs and be happy with it.

Because of its popularity, Comcast is the most respected company in the broadband field. Because of this, you will get your expected results as the trust that this company will genuinely look out for your internet needs. Comcast broadband service has been around a long time. They understand broadband business and can answer all questions that you may have. In addition, they can help you out with anything that you might need to make your internet experience most enjoyable.

Nowadays, there are many internet service providers that you can choose from and all of them have something to offer that you may find will meet your internet needs. On the list of considerations should be Comcast broadband service. They are, by far, one of the best broadband service that a consumer can obtain.

By using the internet or reading literature, you can pretty much assure yourself that going with Comcast as your internet provider will be a sure bet. Perhaps you know of family members or friends who have dealt with this company and find that they are very satisfied with their broadband service. When making these inquiries, you will become more informed and will be able to ask the necessary questions when you finally have zeroed in on Comcast broadband as your internet provider.

There are many internet providers willing to take you on as their consumer. Each one of them have something to offer but none of them knows your personal needs or those of your family. Being a business person or someone working from home will determine the extent of your internet needs. The Comcast company is aware of this and will custom tailor your requirements so that you are not paying for something you don't really need in order to establish a productive internet venture.

Whether you are thinking about getting rid of your dial up modem and signing onto a broadband service, think of Comcast as a company that will meet your expectations at an affordable price. Comcast broadband has been around a very long time and has kept up with the latest technology in broadband services so that you are able to take advantage of all that the internet has to offer at just the right speed.

Broadband From O2 - High Quality Service and Discounts For O2 Customers

Broadband From O2 - High Quality Service and Discounts For O2 Customers By Caroline Telford

Telefonica O2 Ireland Limited or more popularly known as O2 is known as an Ireland 3G and GSM mobile telecommunications operator. But its services are not only limited to Ireland but to the Great Britain too. Among the most sought-after services of the company in other parts of Europe is the O2 Broadband.

O2 Broadband and Special Internet Services

It was only in July 2007 when O2 launched the O2 mobile broadband using the technology called HSDPA over the company's 3G network. The company is providing up to 3.6 megabits per second Internet speed and they say they are now servicing more or less 85 percent of the 3G network users.

So far, the company has started to upgrade its Internet speed. Some parts of Ireland are now enjoying up to 7.2 megabits per second of Internet speed. This development is expected to continue and become vaster than ever.

O2's Mobile Broadband Services

O2 started and was known providing services for mobile phone users. Now, they even made mobile phone users happier with their service offered called as the O2 Mobile Broadband.

The O2 Mobile Broadband is not only available for Irish users but to United Kingdom residents also who are 18 years old and above. The service includes usage of up to 3 gigabytes of space per month which will be charged £0.20 per megabyte-that includes the value added tax. This service is also subject to status and minimum term contract.

Meanwhile, the Internet speed provided for the mobile phone users is also subject to the network coverage. The service is also good for 12 months. After that, standard broadband rates will apply.

O2 Broadband Services for Already O2 Customers

For those who have O2 Mobile Broadband connection, they can also enjoy other O2 broadband services at discounted prices. There are three O2 broadband services available for these customers. These are the Standard Package, Premium Package, and Unlimited Package.

The O2 Standard Broadband package offers up to 8 megabytes having 1.3 megabits per second upload speed. The cost for this service is £12.50 monthly but if the user is already an O2 customer, then the package will only cost £7.50 per month.

Meanwhile, the O2 Premium Broadband package can provide up to 20 megabytes of Internet speed for the customer and an upload speed up to 1.6 megabits per second. This service costs £15 a month for non-O2 customers and £10 for O2 customers.

Lastly, the O2 Ultimate Broadband package offers up to 20 megabytes of Internet speed and an upload speed 1.6 megabits per second. The premium package costs £20 per month but at a discounted price of £15 per month for O2 customers.

All these O2 broadband offerings also come with unlimited downloads, free 24/7 technical and customer support, email to clients' mobile phones, 100 free SMS per month, and great email storage capacity. The three broadband services also have 12-month contract coverage. Customers also need to have a BT land line to have their O2 broadband connection.

Finding the Best O2 Deal

It is highly recommended that customers have their O2 Mobile Broadband connection first before taking other O2 broadband services. This way, customers can enjoy discounted O2 service prices as well as use of all potential features of the services like connecting the client's computer to his mobile phone.

Those who are not yet O2 clients can also enjoy the O2 broadband services but with added value. Anyway, the speed and services are almost the same. It only differs on the cost of the various O2 broadband services.

Tips On Selecting The Right Home Satellite Broadband

Tips On Selecting The Right Home Satellite Broadband By Cindy Heller

When it comes to the satellite broadband alternatives that you have, there are actually loads of information that you have to be familiar with. For one, satellite broadband can be used for your Internet, and this works particularly well if you reside in a very rural area, mainly considering the reality that in a lot of rural areas other forms of Internet are not accessible.

After all, you want to ensure that you end up with the most excellent results and that you are totally satisfied, and so prior to getting any home satellite broadband, you have to know more about the issues of home satellite broadband in general as well as more information about the providers.

The Advantages Of Satellite Broadband

If you decide on using satellite broadband, irrespective of whether you reside in a rural or urban area, then you are really making a good choice. First, satellite broadband is very reasonably priced. Second, the speed and efficiency of it is extraordinary.

This kind of Internet can most closely be compared to high-speed Internet, which is evidently the fastest and most excellent type of Internet service out there. However there are other advantages that satellite broadband can be used for. One of them is the ability to have it together with your satellite television.

Again, irrespective of where you reside, this sort of service is exceptional, and so if you are wondering about what kind of provider you should acquire for your television, you should certainly consider satellite. Satellite is in fact the most popular type for television these days, even over cable which used to be considerably the most popular.

Choosing The Right Satellite Broadband

If you are interested in Satellite Broadband, or if you live in a very rural area and this is your only alternative, then you need to be aware of the different things that you are going to think about prior to getting any one Satellite Broadband service.

For example, you may want to consider all the qualities of the satellite broadband companies that you would find important. Make a list so that you do not forget, and also so that you can use it when you are contacting these companies.

The reason why you are going to contact them all is so that you can speak to a professional there and inquire about the questions that you want answered, so that you can truly gain a much better viewpoint in regards to whether or not you would want to use the company.

Then, on top of that, there are certainly going to be some more personal qualities that you would like the company to have, and soon enough after you take all of this into consideration, you should as a minimum have your options narrowed down a bit.

Once this is completed, all you in actual fact need to do is spend a bit more time and effort and seriously evaluate and compare between the remaining options, so that you can find out which is the ultimate best out of all the choices that you have.

If you want to learn more about home satellite broadband before you move ahead and acquire it, then you can take some time and do some research on your own, so that you can find out as much information as you can, and so that you will be able to make a better choice for you and for your particular situation and requirement.

One thing to remember is that there are lots of people out there who are more than willing and able to assist you throughout the process of choosing a good home satellite broadband for yourself. It is obvious that you are going to want to take as full advantage of this help as you possibly can. Making a list of all the qualities and specifications that you need is a good starting point, so that you can remember the things that are important to you.

Last but not least, if you want, you can make a list of questions that you would like to ask about home satellite broadband, and then you can go and ask a specialist in this specific field all of the issues and questions that you have.

Mobile Working - The Ideal Solution For Those on the Move

Mobile Working - The Ideal Solution For Those on the Move By Victoria Cochrane Victoria Cochrane Level: Platinum Victoria Cochrane is a freelance writer for both online and print media. She lives with her husband and son, and enjoys travelling when not writing....

Ten years ago effective mobile working was in its infancy and presented an entirely different proposition. First, you needed the physique of a bodybuilder to carry all the necessary equipment, especially huge batteries and secondly you could only effectively perform mobile working if you could obtain access to a wired internet access. It was also incredibly expensive and data transfer rates were laboriously slow.

However, in little under a decade we no longer have to haul around a heavy laptop and metres of cable to stay in touch with the office as mobile working has been entirely transformed by devices such as the smart phone and PDA, and the introduction of cost-effective mobile tariffs.

The advent of the mobile broadband dongle has also meant that it is easier to access the internet from wherever there is a mobile phone signal available using a laptop. Because 99% of the UK benefits from mobile phone coverage that means there are only a few remote places where you will ever be out of touch with the office.

However, it is smartphones and PDAs that offer all the convenience of a mobile phone with added functionality that are really revolutionising mobile working. They allow for the downloading of business applications, and offer internet access for web surfing and emails. Using either touch screens or full Qwerty keyboards as user input these devices are easy to operate and carry. In addition, batteries are so much more efficient than they were a decade ago so the amount of time between charging can be extended.

Devices such as the iPhone and BlackBerry allow many business users to take their office with them, wherever they are, but they also are becoming must-have devices for those who perform the majority of their work out on the road, such as sales and technical support people.

Other reasons why mobile devices are becoming so popular include the ability to download a choice of applications, some specifically related to the working needs of the user. More advanced models can also have specialised software uploaded which integrates into the company's systems. The fact that monthly charges for roaming and web browsing have reduced significantly over the last two years has also helped with the widespread adoption of mobile devices.

Whether you are mostly office bound or whether you are based on the road and need to keep in touch, mobile devices mean that you can!

Cost of T1 Bandwidth Vs DSL

Cost of T1 Bandwidth Vs DSL - Why the Difference? By Michael Lemm Michael Lemm Level: Platinum Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications....including DS3-Bandwidth.com and Business-VoIP-Solution.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you're always welcome to drop in and catch up ... ...

There are a few very basic facts about T1 bandwidth and DSL that you must consider to understand why there is a price difference between the two for your business. Once you understand them you'll be able to make the best decision on what is the right solution for your voice/data network needs.

First, a T1 connection usually has a very stringent SLA (Service Level Agreement), one that cable and DSL does not. This means that your business has a guarantee of a specific "uptime" performance with T1 bandwidth. With DSL .... you won't get that guarantee. If something goes wrong with DSL you just have to put up with it and wait. Maybe for days. With a T1 line if something goes wrong it gets priority action with fast resolution .... usually within 4 hours.

Now ask yourself this .... which of the above is the best situation for your business? Can you afford to have all of your voice and/or data communications go down for an undetermined time? Or do you need a resolution fast so you don't lose business? Your answers will help explain part of the impact on cost differences for those situations .... the question than becomes which one can22you live with. With either you "get what you pay for".

Also, DSL and cable are shared services. Bandwidth is shared in the neighborhoods, and is often oversold. Thus many customers are paying for a limited resource, and the low retail price is the result. Even the facility into your location is shared: cable shares the TV connection, and DSL rides on an analog voice grade line. This means speed and performance will likely be affected.

On the other hand T1 is a dedicated service. It's yours and no one elses. Speed and performance are consistent. The T1 circuit is engineered as a digital circuit. Special repeaters might be required if you're far from the central office, and you don't share your bandwidth with other subscribers. Regardless you will have a reliable backbone for your network.

Relative to pricing trends, there really are two markets for T1 services: inside or outside of certain carriers' footprints. If you're within those service areas, then you can get obscenely inexpensive internet T1s, sometimes less than $300/month. If you're outside their service areas, then you'll be paying around $4-500/month. Particularly in rural areas.

So the bottom line is don't simply shop on price alone. Determine what type of network performance you must have and pay accordingly. Paying less for something that doesn't work the way you need it to will cost you MUCH more in the long run. But if you can live with that ... go for it. However, it is much more cost effective to pay a reasonable negotiated price for something that does everything you need. It also makes better business sense.

If you need help in finding the best T1 bandwidth based solution for your business voice/data network .... I strongly recommend the free support available via DS3-Bandwidth.com.

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications....including DS3-Bandwidth.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you're always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Lemm

Broadband Satellite Internet Access - Who's Got the Highest Speeds and Best Service?

Broadband Satellite Internet Access - Who's Got the Highest Speeds and Best Service? By Brian Stevens Brian Stevens Level: Platinum Brian Stevens is a former insurance agent and financial consultant who has written numerous articles on insurance, loans, finance, and satellite TV....

More than 30 million people across the U.S. do not have access to high-speed DSL or cable Internet service. Are you one of them? Does that mean you're stuck with slow, erratic dial-up service?

No. Now you can get high-speed broadband satellite Internet access anywhere in the country, and at a price you can afford.

How does satellite service work?

Instead of sending an Internet signal through your phone line, satellite Internet providers broadcast their signals up to a satellite orbiting in the sky. The satellite then bounces the signal back down to a satellite dish attached to a home or business.

The dish captures the signal and sends it to a modem which decodes the signal and sends it to a computer.

In order to receive satellite Internet service all you need is a clear view of the southern sky, and the necessary equipment which some companies will give you for free.

What are the benefits of broadband satellite Internet service?

* It's fast - Satellite Internet is up to 50 times faster than dial-up service.
This means you can surf websites as fast as turning the pages in a book, and you can download files, pictures, movies, and music in a fraction of the time it takes with dialup.

* It's immediate - Satellite service is always on, so you don't have to spend time logging on and waiting to get on the Internet.

* It's independent - Satellite service is separate from your phone line. The benefit here is that you won't miss any more telephone calls. You can take phone calls and talk on your phone while you're online.

Do I really need broadband satellite Internet access?

The Internet is changing. Websites are using more sophisticated applications that require high-speed access in order to download audio messages, movies, music, and flash files. Without high-speed service it can takes hours, even days, to download these files.

To get the full benefits of the Internet, you need high-speed, broadband service, whether it's DSL, cable, or satellite service.

Who has the fastest speeds and best service?

Of the four major providers, HughesNet is the fastest, with speeds up to 5Kbps. That's 50 times faster than 56K dialup service.

Their nearest competitor, WildBlue, offers speeds up to 1.5 Mbps which is 15 times faster than dialup. As for the other two competitors, Skyway also offers speeds up to 1.5 Mbps, and Starband offers speeds up to 1Mbps.

As far as service is concerned, HughesNet has been in business for 31 years, and has more than 400,000 satisfied customers. And they're the only company that offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Their nearest competitor, WildBlue has been in business 7 years, and does not offer a money-back guarantee.

The Bottom Line

Why be left behind in the digital age? Why not enjoy all the benefits of the Internet by making the switch from dialup to broadband satellite Internet service today?

With prices starting at less than $2 a day, and with a money-back guarantee, how can you go wrong?

Visit http://www.thesatellitetvguide.com/satellite-tv-internet-service.htm or click on the following link for more information on broadband satellite internet plus where to get the best deal on satellite Internet service. You can also see a Satellite vs. Dialup comparison chart and order satellite Internet service online.

The author, Brian Stevens, is the senior editor for TheSatelliteTVGuide.com and has written a number of articles on broadband satellite Internet access.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Stevens

BT Broadband

BT Broadband - Combining Speed With Good Service! By Andrew J Peterson

Speed! Fast data transfer is the need of the present times. With the arrival of nascent technologies, this has been made very much possible. The coming of broadband has helped in transferring data at a lightning speeds. And the BT Broadband has very well been able to come up with the best of features that any broadband provider can offer.

There was a time when people used to be afraid of browsing and downloading was something of a nightmare sort. Those were the days of dialup connections which was extremely slow and it would be nothing wrong to compare it with the snail. Opening a page took a few minutes and downloading of large files and movies took more than twenty four hours. But now, the scene has changed and we can do anything on the web in no time, or maximum of a few hours is taken even to download anything from pictures to movies. The BT Broadband comes with a very good capability to do the same.

The provider is one of the top providers in UK and offers its service to almost every home. It has helped users in achieving high speed access to the internet. these have high speed which can be of 512 kbps or 1 mbps or even 2 mbps. This broadband speed may even sometimes reach to 8 mbps. There are different packages offered to consumers, and in each package there is different speed provided. These packages come at different prices and users are given a choice at the time of taking connection. They can also change their package if they don't like the one they have chosen. The BT broadband also offers packages which depend upon the type of users. As an example, there are those where large amount of free download is permitted and there also are those where free download is very low or even none.

Good service is something one should always consider before taking the connection. Costumer care support should be available round the clock and there should also be the best kind of experts available with the provider so as to clear all kinds of technological problems. such a support is available with the BT broadband and the users are sure to enjoy the high speed together with their costumer care support. The provider also has packages where security features are available. These protect users from the attacks of viruses, malware and other security threats. Though, they keep price of packages depending upon the features you want.

The provider has been famous for quite some time due to its quality packages and one of the best costumer support. It has very well been able to offer the level of product and service the users are looking for.

Though, UK has seen a good number of providers offering broadband at your homes, the BT Broadband has not seen any king of loss in its popularity. It has very well been able to maintain its presence in UK and rest of the world too.

Andrew J Peterson is a professional writer. He is writing on various products and services to distinguish price comparison shopping on BT Broadband, wireless broadband, Broadband Providers, Cheap Hotels and many others.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_J_Peterson

Worlds Top 3 Broadband Cities

Worlds Top 3 Broadband Cities By Adair Cameron

Broadband technology has improved so much over the last few years that we couldn’t imagine a world without it anymore. This improvement has been seen most notably in the Eastern World where the technology is unmatched. These are the top three broadband cities in the world.

1. Seoul, South Korea

The Capital City of South Korea is home to 10 million people and claims top spot for highest broadband penetration with an impressive 83%. Seoul offers 10Mbit/s broadband connections averaging at £10 per month and some areas offer 100Mbit/s broadband from as little as £15 per month.

Koreans have a fascination with online PC Gaming unlike anywhere else in the world with several TV stations dedicated to the so-called sport. Seoul plays the biggest part and is one of the main reasons for the ever-expanding usage of broadband internet in South Korea.

Current expansion plans include a $439 million project to add wireless internet access to subway trains which has more than 8 million passengers per day.
Broadband service is second to none, and this is why the city takes top spot.

2. Taipei, Taiwan

The Capital City of Taiwan claims top spot for wireless broadband. In 2004 the Mayor of Taipei set out to make the city a “cyber city” and was successful within 3 years. Over $70 million was spent to build a wireless broadband network of more than 20,000 access points with enough range to provide broadband for 90% of the population. This is very impressive considering this wireless network covers an area of 105 square miles. The cost to gain access to the citywide wireless broadband network ranges from £2.50 to £12 per month.

Taipei has to settle for second place due to Seoul’s broadband penetration, but it’s number one in the world for wireless broadband.

3. Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo is the largest metropolitan area in the world and has tens of millions of people connected to broadband. Due to great speeds and availability Tokyo broadband users are able to obtain video web conferencing and VoIP call services with more than 10 million unique IP lines in Tokyo alone. Broadband is fairly cheap too, with the most popular option being 100Mbit/s broadband for £25 per month, although there is a 1Gbit/s broadband option at £45 per month.

By 2010, NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone) plans to have spent more than £20 billion in renovations that include plans to provide a ubiquitous cable broadband service for the entire country’s 45 million households.

Therefore, for raw broadband speed and the most amount of users, Tokyo would definitely claim number one spot, but it falls down to third place in the top broadband cities because of a low overall broadband penetration rate.

Six Things You Don't Know About Broadband

Six Things You Don't Know About Broadband By Jerry Niu

Do you know broadband?You may answer yes. I know you may have tried different broadband from several broadband ISPs. You may have installed broadband by yourself several times. You know broadband speed - 2Mb, 8Mb or 24 Mb. You may understand the monthly usage and control your usage. But if you are not a technician in that area, you may not know everything behind these numbers. There is something broadband ISPs will not tell you, or try to write it in a shady corner on their web page.

Let me tell you all these things:

Price:

As more and more ISPs have packages, the price became more and more incomparable. Some packages like Talktalk have call bundles (including anytime package or off-peak package), some are combined with mobile phone contract, and some deals are only available to TV Program subscribers.

A main problem is most deal descriptions don't show whether the price contains the line rental. They may wish customer forget the existence of line rental. But usually, if the deal doesn't tell you that, it means the line rental is not included in the price. If the line rental is included, no ISP will forget to tell you.

Speed:

When we talk to speed, I should tell you broadband ISPs are playing two tricks in words.

The first is the unit. They usually use Mb to describe the speed. Do you think if the speed can reach the theoretic max speed, you can download a song in MP3 format (about 4MB) in half a second? You are tricked. In computer, the size of the file is displayed in MB, which means MegaByte. While in broadband specification, speed is showed in Mb, which means Megabit. 1 MegaByte = 8 Megabit. So 8Mb per second means 1 MB per second.

Another instance I have to emphasise is: Do ask your broadband ISP the maximum speed your phone line can support. Because not all the phone line in UK support 8Mb broadband. Phone lines in some areas can only reach 2Mbps. If your telephone line can't support fast speed, it's a waste of money to buy fast broadband. And I know some ISP don't check it for customers and just open fast broadband for customers no matter real speed the phone line can reach.

Connection Rate:

Now, we know the actually speed broadband ISPs provide to us. However, there is another bad news - you may have to share the bandwidth with other 49 people.
So in Internet rush hour, the real speed may be slow down to 160 Kb a second. That is 20 KB per second.

Wonder why? Because there is a connection rate for broadband! Few broadband ISPs tell customers its connection rate on an explicit place on the web site. But it does affect the speed a lot.

So what is connection rate? Connection rate shows the number of users who share the bandwidth on a single broadband connection between your local exchange and your broadband ISP. Normally, the connection ratios are 50:1 and 20:1.

In UK, the connection rate for home broadband is 50:1, which means you would likely to share your bandwidth with 49 other users, of course, never more than that number. The connection ratio for business broadband is 20:1. It will be much faster in Internet rush hour.

Usage:

Are you annoyed because many providers set a monthly usage cap for broadband, so that you have to check all the time how much you used? Are you looking for broadband with unlimited usage? But you have to consider this instance, if one broadband provider offers unlimited broadband, and customers of this broadband will try and use it all the time. Most providers offer unlimited broadband will have a fair use policy, which actually is led by the connection rate. As there is a connection rate exists, usually 50 people share one line between the exchange and the broadband ISP, so many people will cause the broadband network grind to a halt. This not only makes your broadband speed slows down, but also makes the volume you download decrease largely.

Let me do some calculation, if there are always 40 people (as we have seen, one line may be shared by 50 people) using an 8Mb speed broadband, then the real speed for each person is 200Kb/s. That is 25 KB per second. So you can download as much as 90 MB in one hour, in theory. If you download 12 hour a day, 30 days a month, you can download as much as 32 GB. This number is less than some deals with 40 GB monthly cap. So, don't only looks at the unlimited broadband, even if you download a lot, some deals with large monthly cap provide almost the same volume you can download.

However, a good news is, the monthly download limit or we say monthly usage cap is measured by GB, not Gb. There are no tricks this time.

Contract Length:

Even last year, there is few broadband provider offer broadband with no contract. But now there are several broadband ISP offering no contract broadband, for example, PlusNet, NamesCo, Eclipse.

Those broadband which are so called "no contract broadband" do have contract length. Usually they are one-month rolling contracts. If you don't wish to go on with that broadband provider, call that provider and ask for disconnection. The contract will end at the end of the contract period.

And some providers offer free connection or free modem even if you commit such one-month contract. But if you disconnect within a certain period (usually 12 months), you have to pay for the connection fee and modem fee. So, if you wish to get those broadband, read their terms and conditions carefully.

Availability:

When you check broadband availability of a certain provider, the checker may tell you that that broadband is available in your area. But later, when you plan to install broadband from that provider, you may told that you have to pay more than the price shown on the web site to get that broadband.

What's happened? The reason is some broadband ISP use two types of network. They have their own broadband exchanges in some areas. In some place elsewhere, they provide broadband service by BT network. The cost is different, leading the different price in different areas. As far as I know, Sky Broadband and TalkTalk Broadband have such differential price policy. And Orange also use two networks, but their price are the same.

Broadband Deals

Broadband Deals - Is Contract Broadband for You? By James Dyson

You are sure now that broadband is for you but not on what term or basis you want to have it. Better understanding of the packages and their norms offered by the providers and by calculating them along with you needs and other aspects, you can find out a better option.

Are you flexible with your broadband deal? In the competitive market, you will be hearing of new services launched every month, in which you may find one to be a better deal for yourself. So switching to that provider may sure save your money and for it, your existing broadband connection should allow it without charging in volume for disconnecting the service.

Who should not have a broadband contract? If you want a broadband for your short-term requirement or if you are planning to move your house soon then you can just ignore the contract broadband option at very first.

Moreover, there is lot to benefit from a package having no contract because you can cancel your broadband connection whenever you want and most providers charge only up to the last month of using the service.

Suppose you sign for a long-term contract package and in mid of the contract time, you are forced to leave the service because of any of your reason then you might need to pay the monthly charges for the whole contract time. For example if the service is of 12 months contract then you have to pay charges for 12 months even if you do not make use it.

Broadband on monthly contract In the UK, most of the ISPs ask to sign for a 12 months contract and demand to pay additional charges in case of discontinuing in between. So if you really want ease in having the service then you have to look for other available packages and recognize them before.

Broadband on monthly contract is one that you can sign up. This gives you the flexibility of canceling your service any time with prior one-month notice to the provider. Many ISPs in the UK offer this type of broadband.

Still you need to be well clear with the charges like monthly subscription charges in which providers charge more if you have not signed it for long term. This is mainly done to cover their overall costs. A low priced 12 months contract and 10 months contract under monthly contract basis may cost same. So if you are in need to have a broadband connection for 11 months only, you can sign up for a year time contract instead.

Pay as you go broadband For home users, pay-as-you-go broadband option should be the preferable choice. As home users does not use much for downloads and uploads, the option serves their exact needs as the users pay only for the actual usage which is calculated in terms of uploads and downloads.

Therefore, users who are very much cautious about their spending can have the pay-as-you-go broadband. Some providers even make available the cost capping facility to the users that the users can have a control on their monthly charges.

How well you require being clear with yourself, to have a broadband or not, to that extend you need to be well clear on what fee basis your broadband should be. For the most part, it depends upon the circumstance you are going to be with and planning accordingly will help you in choosing the broadband package for you.

Insight Broadband

Insight Broadband By Alen Wilson

Gone are days when logging on to the World Wide Web was a nightmare, owing to the erratic behavior displayed by the dial-up type of internet access. Now we have a very dependable option and that’s ‘BROADBAND’

Broadband internet connection is growing in prominence as the technology of choice for internet access due to the variety of benefits it gets associated with.

The principal advantages are:

- Super fast speeds

- Always ON type of connection

- Keeps phone lines free

- Reliable

- Scalable

But how does broadband make all this possible? To get an answer to that question we have to look a little deeper into the technological aspects of broadband.

Definition of broadband

Broadband is defined as ‘A mode of data transmission, where multiple pieces of data are sent simultaneously to increase the effective rate of transmission’. In simple terms it means that a number of different pieces of information which may be data, audio or video in nature can be sent simultaneously over a single cable. What that transforms into is that we have optimum utilization of bandwidth. That’s why this way of sending data was termed BROAD-BAND.

Types of broadband

There are a number of types of broadband connections like DSL, CABLE, SATELLITE, WIRELESS and ADSL. The choice with respect to the type of connection to be used entirely depends on the intended use and affordability.

- Digital subscriber line (DSL): A technology ideal for business ensures high speed uploads and downloads.

- CABLE: Broadband through your local cable TV connection.

- SATELLITE: A boon for people living in remote areas.

- WIRELESS: land based wireless broadband.

- Asymmetric digital subscriber line(ADSL): Ideal technology for home users.

As far as application of broadband in home environment is concerned ADSL is widely accepted as the technology of choice.

Accessing broadband

The emergence of broadband technology saw a concurrent surfacing of broadband service providers, these service providers act as the link between you and the World Wide Web. So a reliable broadband service provider is of critical importance, as the quality of his services would decide whether you like broadband or not!

Hardware and software requirements

The hardware requirements would entirely depend on the type of broadband technology you want to get associated with.
No additional software is required to get into the broadband bandwagon, but it would be helpful if you are using a newer version of operating systems.

Limitless functionality

We all have seen the movie ‘STARWARS’ and wondered about the technology they employ and at the end of the movie came out thinking all that as distant imagination. But with broadband many of the so called impossible technologies have come to our door steps. Now we can create virtual private networks, video conference, talk internationally at very cheap rates! Aren’t these the stuffs of which dreams are made of!

Broadband in a sense is challenging us by testing the limits of our imagination. We imagine and it provides!

So let your imagination loose by logging on to the surreal world of BROADBAND. Get in touch with a broadband service provider in your area and give your imagination the wings to fly...

Broadband Review

Broadband Review By Rob Michael

The Uses Of Broadband

Broadband is a high-speed Internet connection that provides a large bandwidth. It is considered a very quick connection. It is an "always-on" type of connection and can transmit data at a much faster rate than your usual dialup connection. Broadband also has the added advantage of not tying up your phone line, which means you can use the both the Internet and telephone at the same time. Broadband can be provided from a variety of sources, including over the top of your phone line as in ADSL or on dedicated line such as Cable or ISDN.

Typically, low-band Internet access is running up to 56kbps using a dial-up modem. Mid-band Internet is described as dialup access that operates at 64kbps or 128kbps. Standard broadband starts at 512kbps, which is about five times faster than dial-up service. Broadband is also available at 1mbps, 1.5mbps and 2.2mbps. There are companies that offer broadband at 4mbps and 8mbps. The maximum possible for cable is around 26mbps and 24mbps for ADSL. These speeds are not sold commercially because the cost to upgrade the telephone lines to be able to transmit data at these speeds is very high.

Downloading and streaming music and video is very quick with broadband. There are a lot of websites now that are designed especially for broadband users. They have intense integrated graphics, flash and video. Broadband is also popular for online gaming. Game consoles like Xbox and PS2 have broadband support included. You can then subscribe to different types of gaming packages from your current ISP, which makes it possible to play Xbox and PS2 games live with other gamers over the Internet. Actually, online PC gaming has been going on since the Internet came into use, but in the past it was difficult to do. Slow and jerky response from your computer made it hard to play, and you always had to keep an eye on the time. Now, with the faster speeds of broadband, it has become much easier and is quickly gaining in popularity. Some games are now being released that require an Internet connection to play.

The growing popularity of broadband has made it necessary for most providers to put a maximum limit on the amount of music, video and other data you can download. This limit can vary greatly, from as low as 1 GB up to 30 GB. Extreme users can get unlimited downloads if they wish. However, exceeding your ISP's download limit usually results in having a limited connection or no connection at all.

One of the possible futures of broadband is Internet Television. The current bandwidth, which is the amount of data you can send and receive, is not wide enough to provide an image that is of comparable quality to that of your standard television. The ever- increasing broadband speeds will make Internet Television a reality. Since you can currently download clips from the shows, music videos and other content you like, it will soon be possible to do it legally in real time. Another use of broadband is online telephony. This is software that allows you to use your computer as a telephone and talk to people from anywhere without any extra cost. It is becoming commonplace, and has a higher quality or recording than a traditional telephone line. With the increase in the speeds of broadband, it may soon replace your television and telephone, and will find its way into every home. The success of broadband is making the Internet a great resource that's easy to use and fun to access for a variety of needs.

ASTRA2Connect

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Example of the terminal dish used to access the ASTRA2Connect system in Europe

ASTRA2Connect is a two-way satellite broadband Internet service available across Europe, which launched in March 2007, and uses the ASTRA series of geostationary satellites. ASTRA2Connect is owned and operated by ASTRA Broadband Services (ABBS), a subsidiary of SES ASTRA^[1], itself a subsidiary of SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg.

ASTRA2Connect provides high-speed Internet access (at up to 2Mbit/s) at a flat rate cost to end users, along with VoIP, IPTV, and content-on-demand facilities, without any requirement for a landline, cable or terrestrial wireless connection.

Application

Close up of the receive/transmit iLNB used on the ASTRA2Connect terminal dish

The ASTRA2Connect service makes broadband Internet access available to homes in rural locations or otherwise beyond the reach of existing terrestrial broadband services. Outside the major European urban centres, there are millions of households currently without broadband access through landlines.^[2] and by 2010, up to 6million, or 3.5%, of the 170 million homes in Western Europe will still be without terrestrial broadband access.^[3]

ASTRA2Connect can also be used for transportable broadband Internet access, where the location or its temporary nature prohibits a terrestrial connection, although the equipment requires mains power and cannot be used while actually in motion.

As well as Internet access, ASTRA2Connect is used for dual play (broadband internet and telephony) and triple play (broadband Internet, telephony and TV) services^[2].

An upgrade was introduced in 2008 to enable an ASTRA2Connect dish to be used for simultaneous reception of normal satellite TV from satellites at the Astra 19.2°E or the Astra 28.2°E positions.

Technology

ASTRA2Connect uses a satellite link to carry IP data in both directions between the central hub and remote terminals. At the hub, routers connect to the Internet backbone and IP data is embedded in a DVB-S2 format carrier to be uplinked to the satellite from SES ASTRA’s teleport and, from there, downlinked to the remote terminal where the signal is received with a domestic-type dish for the satellite internet modem, which extracts the IP data for the end user’s PC.

The return path is handled in a similar fashion, but with a low power 500mW transmitter on each terminal dish providing the uplink to the satellite, with multiple-frequency time division multiple access techniques employed to handle many remote terminals simultaneously. ASTRA2Connect combines 2 standards for the return path: Satmode for modulation and coding and DVB-RCS for the access scheme.

The central hub and terminal technology is developed by a Belgian company called Newtec.

ASTRA2Connect uses the Astra 1E communications satellite at the 23.5° east orbital position to handle uplinks and downlinks in both directions. A number of transponders are used for the hub-to-terminal downlink in the satellite TV downlink segment of the Ku band (10.70GHz-12.75GHz). The terminal-to-hub uplink to the satellite uses using the uplink segment of the Ku band (14.00GHz-14.50 GHz) and extended Ku band (13.75GHz-14.25GHz)

Marketing

The IPmodem used to connect the iLNB to the user’s host PC or local area network

ASTRA2Connect services are sold to residential users by a number of ISPs in partnership with SES ASTRA. Such partnerships operate either exclusively or in competition within different regions and countries of Europe. Germany was the first country to receive access to ASTRA2Connect services. SES ASTRA currently has partnerships with ISPs to provide ASTRA2Connect services in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Switzerland,^[4] Spain^[5] and the UK, with partnerships in other countries under negotiation.^[6]

The first ASTRA2Connect service provider in Germany was ISP, Filiago^[7] which is responsible for marketing and selling the ASTRA2Connect service, providing home and business installations, billing, and running a subscriber helpdesk. SES ASTRA provides the ASTRA2Connect satellite capacity, a DVB/IP Internet platform, uplink services, Internet backbone connectivity, subscriber activation and monitoring, and technical support for Filiago.

Customers of Filiago purchase the ASTRA2Connect terminal equipment for €320, pay a €100 registration fee and a flat rate monthly fee according to the maximum speed – €20 for 256Kbit/s download, 64Kbits/s upload, €30 for 512Kbit/s download, 96Kbits/s upload, €40 for 1024Kbit/s download, 128Kbits/s upload, or €80 for 2048Kbit/s download, 128Kbits/s upload.^[8]

User Equipment

Connection to the ASTRA2Connect service is by way of a Sat3Play satellite terminal developed by Newtec^[9] in conjunction with the European Space Agency (ESA). The terminal comprises an external satellite dish fitted with a two-way interactive LNB (“iLNB”) connected by coaxial cable to the indoor satellite “IPmodem” that, in turn, connects to the user’s PC or LAN. Assembly of the dish and installation is straightforward and requires only a few basic tools and a simple signal strength meter. The installation is sometimes referred to as Do-It-Yourself (DiY) installation. Detailed instructions for installation are supplied and this can be achieved by any competent end user, without professional help.^[10]

The satellite dish is of an offset design with an 80 cm diameter solid steel reflector and fitted with an altazimuth mount.

The iLNB combines the feedhorn and electronics for reception and transmission in one unit, and is provided with two F connectors for receive and transmit connection to the IPmodem. The reception (download) section is equivalent to a universal LNB used in a European domestic direct broadcast satellite TV system but provides for reception of one signal polarity only (selection of the correct polarity at installation is obtained by rotating the iLNB within its mount on the dish).

The IPmodem is a small plastic-cased mains powered unit with F connectors for connection to both receive and transmit sections of the iLNB. It requires no software on the end user’s PC and connects directly, or via a LAN using a standard RJ45 Ethernet connector.

The terminal acts as a DHCP server for the computer, and provides LED indicators for power, satellite link alarm, LAN connection, LAN data, satellite signal received and satellite transmission. With the dish aligned correctly on the correct satellite, the IPmodem automatically seeks out the initial receive carrier frequency (10.891GHz) and establishes a satellite connection.

To enable an ASTRA2Connect dish to be used for normal satellite TV reception, a "Quad LNB and Multifeed Clamp" upgrade can be fitted to the terminal dish. This comprises a replacement clamp for the iLNB onto which fits an additional LNB clamp for either Astra 19.2°E or Astra 28.2°E, fixed at the correct horizontal separation and adjustable vertically (for the user's latitude). A special four-output LNB is supplied, which contains filtering to suppress interference from the iLNB's transmitter.^[11]

Performance

Rear panel of the IPmodem of the ASTRA2Connect satellite broadband system showing the two receive and transmit F connectors and the RJ45 network connection

ASTRA2Connect provides an always-on connection but overall downloaded data is limited by a "fair use" policy. More than 2Gbyte of data downloaded per month reaches the fair use limit, and access speed is then automatically throttled.^[12] However, the speed is restored to the maximum at the start of each month. Moreover, tests conducted by German consumer magazine, PC Magazin, found the limit was not a practical constraint: "Despite violent download orgies, we didn’t come up against the 'Fair Policy'. We had the full 1024Kbit/s at our disposal for the whole test period"^[13]

German consumer magazine, SatVision declared the ASTRA2Connect speed "Good" with a score of 83.3%,^[14] while PC Magazin found "The speed of the data transfer is what you’d expect from 1Mbit/s access. Our tests rushed through the ether at about 115Kbyte/s."^[15]

Since these tests, the maximum download speed has been increased and now stands at 2Mbit/s, with a maximum upload speed of 128Kbit/s,^[16] which puts ASTRA2Connect on par with practical terrestrial broadband connections.

Potential drawbacks of satellite broadband systems include the lack of security of the download data (which can be received by anyone within the satellite’s footprint) and the delay inherent in the connection – as both upload and download data must follow the route from the ground to the satellite (located some 35,785km above the Earth) and back, there is a minimum total delay or latency (depending on the location of the receive site) of about 0.5 seconds.

ASTRA2Connect data transmission features two-way TCP encryption to provide security, and data compression, TCP-acceleration, and HTTP pre-fetching (at the server and subscriber ends) to alleviate the effects of satellite latency.^[17]

Digital Fernsehen magazine’s tests of ASTRA2Connect found that "two-way connection via satellite is unsuitable for lovers of on-line games. The Ping times measured are too long for this application, with values of 578ms-589ms".^[18] However, PC Magazin’s tests found: "The echo (Ping) times were around 650ms. For large downloads, that is insignificant and while surfing on the Internet, it’s easy to accept a half-second 'time to reflect'."^[19]

References

1. ^ SES ASTRA (September 12, 2008). SES ASTRA Creates New Broadband Company. Press release. http://www.ses-astra.com/business/en/news-events/news-latest/index.php?pressRelease=/pressReleases/pressReleaseList/08-09-12/index.php.
2. ^ ^{a b} SES ASTRA "ASTRA2Connect Broadband internet access and VoIP". (August, 2007). Company factsheet
3. ^ Holmes, Mark. "2007: Pivotal Year For Satellite Broadband In Europe" Via Satellite (December, 2007) 19-20
4. ^ "ASTRA2Connect". SES ASTRA. http://www.ses-astra.com/consumer/en/astra-broadband/astra2connect/index.php. Retrieved on April 23 2008. Company website
5. ^ SES ASTRA (October 1, 2008). SES ASTRA Launches ASTRA2CONNECT In Spain. Press release. http://www.ses-astra.com/business/en/news-events/news-latest/index.php?pressRelease=/pressReleases/pressReleaseList/08-10-01/index.php.
6. ^ SES ASTRA (January 15, 2008). Satellite Broadband Service ASTRA2Connect Expands To France and Italy. Press release. http://www.ses-astra.com/business/en/news-events/news-latest/index.php?pressRelease=/pressReleases/pressReleaseList/08-01-15/index.htm.
7. ^ Filiago GmbH http://www.filiago.de German ISP partner.
8. ^ "ASTRA2Connect End User Prices (Germany)". Filiago. http://www.filiago-shop.de/sess/utn;jsessionid=15481055d4ef14e/shopdata/index.shopscript. Retrieved on October 18 2008.
9. ^ Newtec Company NV http://www.newtec.eu Terminal manufacturer
10. ^ SES ASTRA "Manual for the ASTRA2Connect Terminal" version 1.6.5. (March 3, 2007). Instruction manual
11. ^ SES ASTRA "ASTRA2Connect: Upgrade for TV reception" (October, 2008). Company factsheet
12. ^ Sülzer, Torsten. "DSL für ländliche Regionen" Kölnische Rundschau (April 3, 2008) (German) "Werden mehr als zwei Gigabyte Daten pro Monat geladen, greift die „Fair Trade Policy“ - dann wird der Zugang automatisch gedrosselt."
13. ^ Pichl, Günter. "Über-All Internet" PC Magazin (July, 2007) 52-53 (German) "Trotz heftiger Download-Orgien kamen wir mit der „Fair Policy“ nicht in Konflikt. Wir hatten während des gesamten Testzeitraums die vollen 1024Kbit/s zur Verfügung."
14. ^ Szigat, F. "Das Internet aus dem All" SatVision (August, 2007) 44-46 (German)
15. ^ Pichl, Günter. "Über-All Internet" PC Magazin (July, 2007) 52-53 (German) "Die Geschwindigkeit der Datenübertragung entspricht dem, was man von einem 1 Mbit/s-Zugang erwarten darf. Rund 115 kByte/s rauschten bei unseren Tests über den Äther."
16. ^ SES ASTRA "ASTRA2Connect" (September, 2008). Company factsheet
17. ^ Newtec Productions NV "TP200 Sat3Play Broadband Terminal" (Version R2/01.2008). Company factsheet
18. ^ Meyer, Thomas. "Praxistest Internet via Satellit" Digital Fernsehen (September, 2007) 86-87 (German) "Nicht geeignet ist die Zwei-Wege-Verbindung via Satellit für Liebhaber von Online-Spielen. Die von DF gemessenen Ping-Zeiten, d. h. die Zeiten, die „Astra 2 Connect“ benötigt, um eine Seite wie www.digitalfernsehen.de aufzurufen, sind für diese Applikation mit Werten von 578 bis 589 Millisekunden zu lang."
19. ^ Pichl, Günter. "Über-All Internet" PC Magazin (July, 2007) 52-53 (German) "Allerdings lagen die Antwortzeiten (Ping) im Bereich von rund 650 ms. Für größere Downloads ist das belanglos und auch beim Surfen im Internet ist die gute halbe Sekunde „Bedenkzeit“ leicht zu verschmerzen."

See also

• Astra 1E satellite carrying the service
• HughesNet US satellite Internet service
• StarBand US satellite Internet service
• WildBlue US satellite Internet service

External links

• ASTRA2Connect website
• SES Astra website
• SES Astra interactive fleet map

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASTRA2Connect"

Categories: Satellite Internet | Broadband | Internet | Internet companies | Internet service providers | Direct broadcast satellite services | Satellite television | Interactive television | Telecommunications companies of Luxembourg | Betzdorf