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Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about broadband. |
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Most of your questions should be covered in these links, but if there's anything else you need to know, either contact your ISP direct, or check out the links here. |
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Frequently Asked Questions |
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What is broadband? |
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What can broadband do for my business? |
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How much does broadband cost? |
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How long does installation take? |
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Are there different broadband systems available? |
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Can I get broadband? |
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How do I compare the different broadband providers and their products? |
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Can I get funding to help me get broadband? |
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How reliable are broadband connections? |
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What impact will broadband have on my existing systems? |
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What restrictions are there? |
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Can I keep my current Internet Service Provider (ISP)? |
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Can I keep my current email address? |
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Can mixed services, such as telephone and fax, still be accommodated? |
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How many people use broadband? |
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What is broadband? |
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Broadband is a generic term for the different technologies that allow users to send e-mails, communications and surf the internet at much higher speeds than by using conventional dial-up connections. |
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It also provides connections that are ‘always-on’ to the internet, so that you are connected to the web as soon as your computer is switched on. As a result, you are usually charged a monthly rate for the connection, rather than for the time you spend online. |
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Another advantage of broadband is that both businesses and consumers can make the most of new 'bandwidth-hungry' services that are unfeasible with ordinary internet connections. Services such as live video and audio conferencing using a web cam and faster downloading of large files including video, high-resolution graphics, movies, online gaming and access to CD-quality music and TV programmes. |
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What can broadband do for my business? |
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Broadband's major business advantages are increased productivity and efficiency through faster communications. If you send and receive information electronically, broadband will help you and your employees communicate more effectively with each other, with your customers and your suppliers. It will save considerable amounts of time and money in many ways, including researching information, searching for new customers and suppliers, and transferring large, complex files. |
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No matter who you need to communicate with, or how often - from employees to shareholders, from customers to your bankers and investors – broadband will make life faster and easier. For instance, all you will need to set up a video and audio conference is an inexpensive web cam connected to your computers, saving you unnecessary travel and cutting costs. You can send faxes or surf the web and take telephone calls simultaneously, with the same connection – helping you to save on the cost of several traditional line rentals. Virtual private networks (VPNs) can also be set up to connect your separate offices and remote workers, such as freelance contractors or home workers. |
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How much does broadband cost? |
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Like everything else, you get what you pay for so it depends on the size of your business, what kind of service you want to receive and what your ISP can offer you, so it makes sense to compare as many different packages and ISPs as you can. You should consider everything - monthly fees, installation and set up costs, what your requirements are likely to be, from how many e-mail addresses you need, to the cost of potentially changing your e-mail address (including new stationery) and whether you need features such as the ability to host your own website, and so on. |
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There are many magazines and websites ready with advice, but in general, a basic cable or ADSL product, designed for a single computer, can cost from around £15-20 per month. However, this can rise to over £1000 per year for multi-user packages. Some companies offer free installation, but they often charge more per month. Satellite services are more expensive, with initial charges of up to £1,000, and can cost between £70-100 per month. Wireless broadband packages cost from £150 to install and around £40 per month for rental |
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How long does installation take? |
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To make everything as simple and attractive as possible, many ISPs now offer an ‘out of the box' package complete with everything you need to install the service yourself. However, even with self-installation, you will probably have to wait several working days to be connected to a broadband service. |
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Are there different broadband systems available? |
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Currently the most popular type of broadband is ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line). ADSL uses your existing copper lines connecting your house or business to your local telephone exchange. However, your exchange must be broadband ready (not all are – check your postcode) and your phone connection must be within around 5.5km of the exchange. |
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ADSL allows your business to send and receive information at much higher speeds than with traditional dial-up connections. It is also designed to download information faster than it sends it, on the basis that most people download more than they send. As a result, ADSL can download information at up to 40 times faster than the a typical 56 Kbp/s modem connection. Other forms of DSL which will be introduced in the near future, will be even faster and will allow greater transfer speeds both ways. |
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If you are in a cable area, you can use a cable modem, which will use the existing fibre-optic cable network to give you a high-speed connection at between 10 and 200 times faster than a standard dial-up modem. |
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However, if you live and work in an area where there is currently no broadband connection, you will need to consider alternative broadband technologies such as satellite and wireless technology. Using the same principle as satellite TV (though not the same dish) satellite is becoming more popular for broadband business connections in remote areas such as the Scottish Highlands, but it’s more expensive to set up and operate. Although it’s better suited to providing one-way communication, satellite packages are currently available that can offer you download speeds of up to 4 Mbp/s and sending speeds of up to 256 Kbp/s. |
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Wireless technology uses a relay system, where an antenna is placed on your wall and communicates with your ISP. Available speeds can reach 512 Kbp/s for downloading and 256 Kbp/s for uploading. ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) is another system which uses existing technology, but at 128 Kbp/s, it is significantly slower. |
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Can I get broadband? |
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That depends entirely on where you live and work. Cable and ADSL networks are currently being installed across the country, and due to cost are still unavailable in many rural areas. (Hence the popularity of technologies such as satellite and wireless broadband.) However, over two-thirds of the UK population and most towns and cities are already connected. |
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If you’re within 5.5 km of a telephone exchange that’s broadband ready, you can receive ADSL services. The further away you are, however, the slower the speeds. If your local exchange has not had equipment installed to run ADSL, or in other rare cases, you will have to consider other technologies such as satellite or wireless - see What are the different broadband systems available? |
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For more information on availability, see telecommunications regulator Oftel's website. |
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How do I compare the different service providers and their products? |
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There’s a whole range of information available, from the UK online for business website, to magazines and web sites dedicated to reviewing ISPs’ broadband services. Many online sites have message boards where users exchange information about providers, their services and packages. |
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Can I get funding to help me get broadband? |
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At the moment, there is no specific source of funding for companies wishing to buy broadband services or technology, but it may be worth contacting the Department of Trade and Industry (www.dti.gov.uk) or your Regional Development Agency for more information about any relevant grants or schemes that you may be covered by. |
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How reliable is broadband? |
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Reliability can depend on which technology you are using, how many people are using it at your location, how many people locally are using it, and the speed of the technology itself. Some, such as those offering 128 Kbp/s, will be less suitable for demanding applications such as video conferencing. How many people can use your connection simultaneously – the contention ratio - can also have an impact on speeds at busy times. |
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Cheaper packages will ordinarily have higher contention ratios, which will generally result in slower service. With many systems such as ADSL, the strength of the signals also depends on how far you are from your local exchange. The further away you are, the more the chance of delays. |
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You will also need to ask your ISP what level of technical support they provide and how much it costs, what service quality they can guarantee and whether they provide optional security features. |
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If you have any complaints about your ISP you can contact the telecommunications regulator Oftel, (www.oftel.gov.uk). |
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What impact will broadband have on my existing systems? |
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This depends on the complexity and size of your current systems, but you would be well advised to discuss it with your ISP before you sign any contracts. |
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What restrictions are there? |
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Although many broadband packages are advertised as unmetered, it is always worth double checking with the ISPs you are considering using to see if they place any limits on the time you can spend online. |
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Can I keep my current Internet Service Provider (ISP)? |
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If they offer the broadband services you need in your area, yes. |
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Can I keep my current email address? |
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This depends on whether you keep your current ISP or the company from which you source your e-mail services. |
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Can mixed services, such as telephone and fax, still be accommodated? |
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Many ISPs offer 'all-in-one' communications packages that cover all three. |
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How many people use broadband? |
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More and more businesses and home users are signing up to broadband every day, with everyone from pensioners to farmers making the most of the services on offer. Over a million businesses and home users have already signed up. |
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