Broadband technologies
Asymmetric digital subscriber line
Asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) is a type of digital subscriber line (DSL)
technology, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission
over copper telephone lines than a conventional voiceband modem can provide.
ADSL differs from the less common symmetric digital subscriber line (SDSL). In
ADSL, bandwidth and bit rate are said to be asymmetric, meaning greater toward the
customer premises (downstream) than the reverse (upstream). Providers usually mar-
ket ADSL as a service for consumers for Internet access for primarily downloading
content from the Internet, but not serving content accessed by others.
ADSL works by spectrum above the band used by voice telephone [Link] a DSL
filter, often called splitter, the frequency bands are isolated, permitting a single tele-
phone line to be used for both ADSL service and telephone calls at the same time.
ADSL is generally only installed for short distances from the telephone exchange (the
last mile), typically less than 4 kilometres (2 mi),but has been known to exceed 8
kilometres (5 mi) if the originally laid wire gauge allows for further[clarification nee-
ded] distribution.
At the telephone exchange, the line generally terminates at a digital subscriber line
access multiplexer (DSLAM) where another frequency splitter separates the voice
band signal for the conventional phone network. Data carried by the ADSL are typi-
cally routed over the telephone company's data network and eventually reach a con-
ventional Internet Protocol network.
There are both technical and marketing reasons why ADSL is in many places the
most common type offered to home users. On the technical side, there is likely to be
more crosstalk from other circuits at the DSLAM end (where the wires from many lo-
cal loops are close to each other) than at the customer premises. Thus the upload sig-
nal is weakest at the noisiest part of the local loop, while the download signal is stron-
gest at the noisiest part of the local loop. It therefore makes technical sense to have
the DSLAM transmit at a higher bit rate than does the modem on the customer end.
Since the typical home user in fact does prefer a higher download speed, the tele-
phone companies chose to make a virtue out of necessity, hence ADSL.
The marketing reasons for an asymmetric connection are that, firstly, most users of in-
ternet traffic will require less data to be uploaded than downloaded. For example, in
normal web browsing, a user will visit a number of web sites and will need to down-
load the data that comprises the web pages from the site, images, text, sound files etc.
but they will only upload a small amount of data, as the only uploaded data is that
used for the purpose of verifying the receipt of the downloaded data or any data input-
ted by the user into forms etc. This provides a justification for internet service provi-
ders to offer a more expensive service aimed at commercial users who host websites,
and who therefore need a service which allows for as much data to be uploaded as
downloaded. File sharing applications are an obvious exception to this situation. Sec-
ondly internet service providers, seeking to avoid overloading of their backbone con-
nections, have traditionally tried to limit uses such as file sharing which generate a lot
of uploads.
Very high speed digital subscriber line
Very high speed digital subscriber line (VDSL) and very high speed digital subscriber
line 2 (VDSL2) are digital subscriber line (DSL) technologies providing data trans-
mission faster than asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL).
VDSL offers speeds of up to 52 Mbit/s downstream and 16 Mbit/s upstream, over a
single flat untwisted or twisted pair of copper wires using the frequency band from
25 kHz to 12 [Link] rates mean that VDSL is capable of supporting applications
such as high-definition television, as well as telephone services (voice over IP) and
general Internet access, over a single connection. VDSL is deployed over existing
wiring used for analog telephone service and lower-speed DSL connections. This
standard was approved by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in No-
vember [Link]-generation systems (VDSL2; ITU-T G.993.2 approved in Feb-
ruary 2006)use frequencies of up to 30 MHz to provide data rates exceeding
100 Mbit/s simultaneously in both the upstream and downstream directions. The max-
imum available bit rate is achieved at a range of about 300 metres (980 ft); perfor-
mance degrades as the local loop attenuation increases.VDSL2 is an enhancement to
VDSL. Designed to support the wide deployment of triple play services such as
voice, video, data and high-definition television (HDTV) VDSL2 is intended to en-
able operators and carriers to gradually, flexibly, and cost-efficiently upgrade existing
xDSL infrastructure.
The protocol is standardized in the International Telecommunication Union telecom-
munications sector (ITU-T) as Recommendation G.993.2. It was announced as fina-
lized on 27 May 2005 and first published on 17 February 2006. Several corrections
and amendments were published from 2007 to 2011.
VDSL2 permits the transmission of asymmetric and symmetric aggregate data rates
up to 300+ Mbit/s downstream and upstream on twisted pairs using a bandwidth up to
35 MHz. It deteriorates quickly from a theoretical maximum of 350 Mbit/s at source
to 100 Mbit/s at 500m (1640.42ft) and 50 Mbit/s at 1000m (3280.84ft), but degrades
at a much slower rate from there, and outperforms VDSL. Starting from 1,600 m
(1 mi) its performance is equal to ADSL2+
Cable broadband
In telecommunications, cable Internet access, shortened to cable Internet, is a form of
broadband Internet access which uses the same infrastructure as a cable television.
Like digital subscriber line and fiber to the premises services, cable Internet access
provides network edge connectivity (last mile access) from the Internet service provi-
der to an end user. It is integrated into the cable television infrastructure analogously
to DSL which uses the existing telephone network. Cable TV networks and telecom-
munications networks are the two predominant forms of residential Internet access.
Recently, both have seen increased competition from fiber deployments, wireless, and
mobile networks. Broadband cable Internet access requires a cable modem at the cus-
tomer's premises and a cable modem termination system (CMTS) at a cable operator
facility, typically a cable television headend. The two are connected via coaxial cable
or a hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC) plant. While access networks are sometimes referred
to as last-mile technologies, cable Internet systems can typically operate where the
distance between the modem and the termination system is up to 160 kilometres
(99 mi). If the HFC network is large, the cable modem termination system can be
grouped into hubs for efficient management.
Downstream, the direction toward the user, bit rates can be as high as 1 Gbit/s.[1] Up-
stream traffic, originating at the user, ranges from 384 kbit/s to more than 50 Mbit/s.
One downstream channel can handle hundreds of cable modems. As the system
grows, the CMTS can be upgraded with more downstream and upstream ports, and
grouped into hub CMTSs for efficient management.
Most Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) cable modems re-
strict upload and download rates, with customizable limits. These limits are set in
configuration files which are downloaded to the modem using the Trivial File Trans-
fer Protocol, when the modem first establishes a connection to the provider's equip-
ment. Some users have attempted to override the bandwidth cap and gain access to
the full bandwidth of the system, by uploading their own configuration file to the
cable modem a process called uncapping.
Satellite Broadband
Satellite Internet access is Internet access provided through communications satel-
lites. Modern consumer grade satellite Internet service is typically provided to indivi-
dual users through geostationary satellites that can offer relatively high data
speeds,with newer satellites using Ku band to achieve downstream data speeds up to
506 Mbit/s. Following the launch of the first satellite, Sputnik 1, by the Soviet Union
in October 1957, the US successfully launched the Explorer 1 satellite in 1958. The
first commercial communications satellite was Telstar 1, built by Bell Labs and laun-
ched in July [Link] idea of a geosynchronous satellite—one that could orbit the
Earth above the equator and remain fixed by following the Earth's rotation—was first
proposed by Herman Potočnik in 1928 and popularised by the science fiction author
Arthur C. Clarke in a paper in Wireless World in 1945.
The first satellite to successfully reach geostationary orbit was Syncom3, built by
Hughes Aircraft for NASA and launched on August 19, 1963. Succeeding genera-
tions of communications satellites featuring larger capacities and improved perfor-
mance characteristics were adopted for use in television delivery, military applica-
tions and telecommunications purposes. Following the invention of the Internet and
the World Wide Web, geostationary satellites attracted interest as a potential means of
providing Internet access.A significant enabler of satellite-delivered Internet has been
the opening up of the Ka band for satellites. In December 1993, Hughes Aircraft Co.
filed with the Federal Communications Commission for a license to launch the first
Ka-band satellite, Spaceway. In 1995, the FCC issued a call for more Ka-band satel-
lite applications, attracting applications from 15 companies. Among those were
EchoStar, Lockheed Martin, GE-Americom, Motorola and KaStar Satellite, which la-
ter became WildBlue.
Among prominent aspirants in the early-stage satellite Internet sector was Teledesic,
an ambitious and ultimately failed project funded in part by Microsoft that ended up
costing more than $9 billion. Teledesic's idea was to create a broadband satellite con-
stellation of hundreds of low-orbiting satellites in the Ka-band frequency, providing
inexpensive Internet access with download speeds of up to 720 Mbit/s. The project
was abandoned in 2003. Teledesic's failure, coupled with the bankruptcy filings of the
satellite communications providers Iridium Communications Inc. and Globalstar,
dampened marketplace enthusiasm for satellite Internet development. It wasn't until
September 2003 when the first Internet-ready satellite for consumers was launched by
Eutelsat.
In 2004, with the launch of Anik F2, the first high throughput satellite, a class of
next-generation satellites providing improved capacity and bandwidth became opera-
tional. More recently, high throughput satellites such as ViaSat's ViaSat-1 satellite in
2011 and HughesNet's Jupiter in 2012 have achieved further improvements, elevating
downstream data rates from 1–3 Mbit/s up to 12–15Mbit/s and beyond. Internet ac-
cess services tied to these satellites are targeted largely to rural residents as an alterna-
tive to Internet service via dial-up, ADSL or classic FSSes. Since 2014, a rising num-
ber of companies announced working on internet access using satellite constellations
in low Earth orbit. SpaceX, OneWeb and Amazon all plan to launch more than 1000
satellites each. OneWeb alone raised $1.7 billion by February 2017 for the project and
SpaceX raised over one billion in the first half of 2019 alone for their service called
Starlink and expected more than $30 billion in revenue by 2025 from its satellite con-
[Link] planned constellations employ laser communication for inter-satellite
links to effectively create a space-based internet backbone. As of 2017, airlines such
as Delta and American have been introducing satellite internet as a means of combat-
ing limited bandwidth on airplanes and offering passengers usable internet speeds.
Satellite Internet generally relies on three primary components: a satellite, typically in
geostationary orbit (sometimes referred to as a geosynchronous Earth orbit, or GEO),
a number of ground stations known as gateways that relay Internet data to and from
the satellite via radio waves (microwave), and a small antenna at the subscriber's loca-
tion, often a VSAT (very-small-aperture terminal) dish antenna with a transceiver.
Other components of a satellite Internet system include a modem at the user end
which links the user's network with the transceiver, and a centralized network opera-
tions center (NOC) for monitoring the entire system. Working in concert with a
broadband gateway, the satellite operates a Star network topology where all network
communication passes through the network's hub processor, which is at the center of
the star. With this configuration, the number of remote VSATs that can be connected
to the hub is virtually limitless. Marketed as the center of the new broadband satellite
networks are a new generation of high-powered GEO satellites positioned 35,786
kilometres (22,236 mi) above the equator, operating in Ka-band (18.3–30 GHz)
[Link] new purpose-built satellites are designed and optimized for broadband
applications, employing many narrow spot beams,which target a much smaller area
than the broad beams used by earlier communication satellites. This spot beam tech-
nology allows satellites to reuse assigned bandwidth multiple times which can enable
them to achieve much higher overall capacity than conventional broad beam satel-
lites. The spot beams can also increase performance and consequential capacity by fo-
cusing more power and increased receiver sensitivity into defined concentrated areas.
Spot beams are designated as one of two types: subscriber spot beams, which trans-
mit to and from the subscriber-side terminal, and gateway spot beams, which transmit
to/from a service provider ground station. Note that moving off the tight footprint of a
spotbeam can degrade performance significantly. Also, spotbeams can make the use
of other significant new technologies impossible, including 'Carrier in Carrier' modu-
lation.
In conjunction with the satellite's spot-beam technology, a bent-pipe architecture has
traditionally been employed in the network in which the satellite functions as a bridge
in space, connecting two communication points on the ground. The term "bent-pipe"
is used to describe the shape of the data path between sending and receiving antennas,
with the satellite positioned at the point of the bend. Simply put, the satellite's role in
this network arrangement is to relay signals from the end user's terminal to the ISP's
gateways, and back again without processing the signal at the satellite. The satellite
receives, amplifies, and redirects a carrier on a specific radio frequency through a sig-
nal path called a transponder.
Some proposed satellite constellations in LEO such as Starlink, Telesat constellation
and LeoSat will employ laser communication equipment for high-throughput optical
inter-satellite links. The interconnected satellites allow for direct routing of user data
from satellite to satellite and effectively create a space-based optical mesh network
that will enable seamless network management and continuity of service.
The satellite has its own set of antennas to receive communication signals from Earth
and to transmit signals to their target location. These antennas and transponders are
part of the satellite's "payload", which is designed to receive and transmit signals to
and from various places on Earth. What enables this transmission and reception in the
payload transponders is a repeater subsystem (RF (radio frequency) equipment) used
to change frequencies, filter, separate, amplify and group signals before routing them
to their destination address on Earth. The satellite's high-gain receiving antenna pas-
ses the transmitted data to the transponder which filters, translates and amplifies
them, then redirects them to the transmitting antenna on board. The signal is then rou-
ted to a specific ground location through a channel known as a carrier. Beside the
payload, the other main component of a communications satellite is called the bus,
which comprises all equipment required to move the satellite into position, supply
power, regulate equipment temperatures, provide health and tracking information,
and perform numerous other operational tasks.
Along with dramatic advances in satellite technology over the past decade, ground
equipment has similarly evolved, benefiting from higher levels of integration and in-
creasing processing power, expanding both capacity and performance boundaries.
The Gateway—or Gateway Earth Station (its full name)—is also referred to as a
ground station, teleport or hub. The term is sometimes used to describe just the anten-
na dish portion, or it can refer to the complete system with all associated components.
In short, the gateway receives radio wave signals from the satellite on the last leg of
the return or upstream payload, carrying the request originating from the end-user's
site. The satellite modem at the gateway location demodulates the incoming signal
from the outdoor antenna into IP packets and sends the packets to the local network.
Access server/gateways manage traffic transported to/from the Internet. Once the in-
itial request has been processed by the gateway's servers, sent to and returned from
the Internet, the requested information is sent back as a forward or downstream pay-
load to the end-user via the satellite, which directs the signal to the subscriber termin-
al. Each Gateway provides the connection to the Internet backbone for the gateway
beam(s) it serves. The system of gateways comprising the satellite ground system
provides all network services for satellite and corresponding terrestrial connectivity.
Each gateway provides a multiservice access network for subscriber terminal connec-
tions to the Internet. In the continental United States, because it is north of the equa-
tor, all gateway and subscriber dish antenna must have an unobstructed view of the
southern sky. Because of the satellite's geostationary orbit, the gateway antenna can
stay pointed at a fixed position.
Wireless broadband
Wireless broadband is telecommunications technology that provides high-speed wire-
less Internet access or computer networking access over a wide area. The term com-
prises both fixed and mobile broadband. A wireless broadband network is an outdoor
fixed and/or mobile wireless network providing point-to-multipoint or point-to-point
terrestrial wireless links for broadband [Link] networks can feature data
rates exceeding 1 Gbit/s. Many fixed wireless networks are exclusively half-duplex
(HDX), however, some licensed and unlicensed systems can also operate at full-du-
plex (FDX) allowing communication in both directions [Link] fixed
wireless broadband networks commonly utilize a priority TDMA based protocol in
order to divide communication into timeslots. This timeslot technique eliminates
many of the issues common to 802.11 Wi-Fi protocol in outdoor networks such as the
hidden node [Link] wireless Internet service providers (WISPs) provide down-
load speeds of over 100 Mbit/s; most broadband wireless access (BWA) services are
estimated to have a range of 50 km (31 mi) from a [Link] used include
Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS) and Multichannel Multipoint Distribu-
tion Service (MMDS), as well as heavy use of the industrial, scientific and medical
(ISM) radio bands and one particular access technology was standardized by IEEE
802.16, with products known as [Link] is highly popular in Europe but
has not met full acceptance in the United States because cost of deployment does not
meet return on investment figures. In 2005 the Federal Communications Commission
adopted a Report and Order that revised the FCC's rules to open the 3650 MHz band
for terrestrial wireless broadband [Link] system that is popular with
cable internet service providers uses point-to-multipoint wireless links that extend the
existing wired network using a transparent radio connection. This allows the same
DOCSIS modems to be used for both wired and wireless customers.
Mobile broadband
Mobile broadband is the marketing term for wireless Internet access through a porta-
ble modem, USB wireless modem, or a tablet/smartphone or other mobile device.
The first wireless Internet access became available in 1991 as part of the second gen-
eration (2G) of mobile phone technology. Higher speeds became available in 2001
and 2006 as part of the third (3G) and fourth (4G) generations. In 2011, 90% of the
world's population lived in areas with 2G coverage, while 45% lived in areas with 2G
and 3G [Link] broadband uses the spectrum of 225 MHz to 3700 MHz. The
bit rates available with Mobile broadband devices support voice and video as well as
other data access. Devices that provide mobile broadband to mobile computers in-
clude:
PC cards, also known as PC data cards, and Express cards
USB and mobile broadband modems, also known as connect cards
portable devices with built-in support for mobile broadband, such as laptops,
smartphones/tablets, PDAs, and other mobile Internet devices.
Internet access subscriptions are usually sold separately from mobile service subscrip-
tions. The download (to the user) and upload (to the Internet) data rates given above
are peak or maximum rates and end users will typically experience lower data rates.
WiMAX was originally developed to deliver fixed wireless service with wireless mo-
bility added in 2005. CDPD, CDMA2000 EV-DO, and MBWA are no longer being
actively developed. At the end of 2012 there were estimated to be 6.6 billion mobile
network subscriptions worldwide (89% penetration), representing roughly 4.4 billion
subscribers (many people have more than one subscription). Growth has been around
9% year-on-year. Mobile phone subscriptions were expected to reach 9.3 billion in
[Link] the end of 2012 there were roughly 1.5 billion mobile broadband subscrip-
tions, growing at a 50% year-on-year [Link] broadband subscriptions were ex-
pected to reach 6.5 billion in 2018.
Mobile data traffic doubled between the end of 2011 (~620 Petabytes in Q4 2011)
and the end of 2012 (~1280 Petabytes in Q4 2012).This traffic growth is and will con-
tinue to be driven by large increases in the number of mobile subscriptions and by in-
creases in the average data traffic per subscription due to increases in the number of
smartphones being sold, the use of more demanding applications and in particular vi-
deo, and the availability and deployment of newer 3G and 4G technologies capable of
higher data rates. Total mobile broadband traffic was expected to increase by a factor
of 12 to roughly 13,000 PetaBytes by 2018 .
On average, a mobile laptop generates approximately seven times more traffic than a
smartphone (3 GB vs. 450 MB/month). This ratio was forecast to fall to 5 times (10
GB vs. 2 GB/month) by 2018. Traffic from mobile devices that tether (share the data
access of one device with multiple devices) can be up to 20 times higher than that
from non-tethering users and averages between 7 and 14 times higher.
It has also been shown that there are large differences in subscriber and traffic pat-
terns between different provider networks, regional markets, device and user
[Link] from emerging markets has fuelled growth in both mobile device and
mobile broadband subscriptions and use. Lacking a widespread fixed-line infrastruc-
ture, many emerging markets leapfrog developed markets and use mobile broadband
technologies to deliver high-speed internet access to the mass market. One common
use case of mobile broadband is among the construction industry.
WiMAX
WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a family of wireless
broadband communication standards based on the IEEE 802.16 set of standards,
which provide multiple physical layer (PHY) and Media Access Control (MAC) op-
[Link] name "WiMAX" was created by the WiMAX Forum, which was formed in
June 2001 to promote conformity and interoperability of the standard, including the
definition of predefined system profiles for commercial vendors. The forum describes
WiMAX as "a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile wireless
broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL".IEEE 802.16m or Wireless-
MAN-Advanced was a candidate for the 4G, in competition with the LTE Advanced
[Link] was initially designed to provide 30 to 40 megabit-per-second data
rates, with the 2011 update providing up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations.
The latest version of WiMAX, WiMAX release 2.1, popularly branded as/known as
WiMAX 2+, is a smooth, backwards-compatible transition from previous WiMAX
generations. It is compatible and inter-operable with TD-LTE. WiMAX refers to in-
teroperable implementations of the IEEE 802.16 family of wireless-networks stan-
dards ratified by the WiMAX Forum. (Similarly, Wi-Fi refers to interoperable imple-
mentations of the IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN standards certified by the Wi-Fi Alli-
ance.) WiMAX Forum certification allows vendors to sell fixed or mobile products as
WiMAX certified, thus ensuring a level of interoperability with other certified pro-
ducts, as long as they fit the same profile.
The original IEEE 802.16 standard (now called "Fixed WiMAX") was published in
2001. WiMAX adopted some of its technology from WiBro, a service marketed in
[Link] WiMAX (originally based on 802.16e-2005) is the revision that was
deployed in many countries and is the basis for future revisions such as 802.16m-
[Link] was sometimes referred to as "Wi-Fi on steroids" and can be used for a
number of applications including broadband connections, cellular backhaul, hotspots,
etc. It is similar to Long-range Wi-Fi, but it can enable usage at much greater distan-
ces.
Mobile WiMAX was a replacement candidate for cellular phone technologies such as
GSM and CDMA, or can be used as an overlay to increase capacity. Fixed WiMAX is
also considered as a wireless backhaul technology for 2G, 3G, and 4G networks in
both developed and developing [Link] North America, backhaul for urban opera-
tions is typically provided via one or more copper wire line connections, whereas re-
mote cellular operations are sometimes backhauled via satellite. In other regions, ur-
ban and rural backhaul is usually provided by microwave links. (The exception to this
is where the network is operated by an incumbent with ready access to the copper net-
work.) WiMAX has more substantial backhaul bandwidth requirements than legacy
cellular applications. Consequently, the use of wireless microwave backhaul is on the
rise in North America and existing microwave backhaul links in all regions are being
upgraded. Capacities of between 34 Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s are routinely being deployed
with latencies in the order of 1 [Link] many cases, operators are aggregating sites
using wireless technology and then presenting traffic on to fiber networks where con-
venient. WiMAX in this application competes with microwave radio, E-line and sim-
ple extension of the fiber network itself.
WiMAX directly supports the technologies that make triple-play service offerings
possible (such as quality of service and multicasting). These are inherent to the Wi-
MAX standard rather than being added on as carrier Ethernet is to Ethernet.
On May 7, 2008 in the United States, Sprint Nextel, Google, Intel, Comcast, Bright
House, and Time Warner announced a pooling of an average of 120 MHz of spectrum
and merged with Clearwire to market the service. The new company hoped to benefit
from combined services offerings and network resources as a springboard past its
competitors. The cable companies were expected to provide media services to other
partners while gaining access to the wireless network as a Mobile virtual network op-
erator to provide triple-play services.
Some wireless industry analysts, such as Ken Dulaney and Todd Kort at Gartner,
were skeptical how the deal would work out: Although fixed-mobile convergence had
been a recognized factor in the industry, prior attempts to form partnerships among
wireless and cable companies had generally failed to lead to significant benefits for
the participants. Other analysts at IDC favored the deal, pointing out that as wireless
progresses to higher bandwidth, it inevitably competes more directly with cable, DSL
and fiber, inspiring competitors into collaboration. Also, as wireless broadband net-
works grow denser and usage habits shift, the need for increased backhaul and media
services accelerate, therefore the opportunity to leverage high bandwidth assets was
expected to increase.
Fibre broadband
Fibre broadband is a new type of broadband that is currently being deployed in the
UK by BT, Virgin Media and other operators which uses fibre optic cables to help in-
crease the speed of your broadband connection. It is often referred to as 'super-fast
broadband' or 'next-generation broadband' as it offers faster speeds than have been
available to date using older generation networks. It is available to both home and
business users.
There are generally two types of fibre broadband connections
Fibre to the cabinet
Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) involves running fibre optic cables from the telephone
exchange or distribution point to the street cabinets which then connect to a standard
phone line to provide broadband.
This is combined with a copper cable from the cabinet to the home or business which
uses VDSL or similar technology that can deliver much faster speeds over shorter dis-
tances.
Fibre to the home / premises (FTTH or FTTP)
Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP), also often referred to as Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH)
provides and end-to-end fibre optic connection the full distance from the exchange to
the building and can deliver faster speeds than FTTC as there is no copper leg at all.
Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) broadband comes in three main variants which offer a
downstream line connection speed of 80 meg (80 Mbps), 55 meg (55 Mbps) or 40
meg (40 Mbps), but the actual maximum throughput speed of the service will be
slightly lower than this at around 76 / 52 / 38 Mbps. Different upstream speeds are
available at either 2Mbps or 10Mbps on the 40 Mbps variant, with 10 Mbps on the 55
Mbps version and finally 20 Mbps up on the 80 Mbps.
Not everyone will receive the maximum speed as it depends on the length of your
phone line to the cabinet which is providing your broadband service, it should be no-
ted that since all the FTTC services rely on the same VDSL2 technology that unless
you are getting the maximum speed from a 40 Mbps product upgrading to a 55 or 80
Mbps product will not boost your speeds.
If you are lucky enough to live in an area that will receive Fibre to the Premi-
ses (FTTP full fibre), download speeds of 330Mbps and upstream speeds of 30Mbps
are available. The FTTP products offer the same speed options as on FTTC (at the
same price) and also faster versions at 100meg down /15 meg up, 110/15meg,
100/30meg, 330/20meg, and 330/30meg. Further speed upgrades for full fibre to
1Gbps (1000Mbps) are expected to be on sale later in 2017. The massive advantage
FTTP has is that the connection speed is not affected by distance.
