Broadband

FTTP – Fibre-to-the-Premises – When we see the term ‘full fibre’ or ‘real fibre’ this is usually referring to a specific type of fibre optic technology where you have fibre all the way into your premises from the exchange. This is the fastest type of broadband technology available and is being built across the UK to deliver and support the next generation of the internet. Its currently capable of delivery up to 10 times faster than a traditional fibre (FTTC) connection, and in future will be up to 100 times and more.

FTTC – Fibre-to-the-Cabinet – Traditional fibre broadband that is delivered using a mixture of copper and fibre optic cable uses this type of technology. This is commonplace and has been the dominant technology for the last decade or so. This has now become unreliable and is not capable of delivering the increasing amounts of speed and data the common household and businesses now consume.

Ultrafast / Gigabit Broadband – This is a next generation broadband connection (which we are offering) that can offer a connection of 1 Gigabit per second (1Gbps or 1Gb/s). We are offering this to all customers with a variety of packages on offer to choose from.

ADSL/ADSL2+ – Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line – This is an old broadband technology that has been here since the start of broadband (just after dial-up internet). It does not use any fibre optic cable and instead uses only copper cable. Its only capable of delivering a maximum of 24Mbps and is commonplace is rural areas where fibre or fibre/copper mixtures have not historically been able to reach. This is what we are here to change!

ISP – Internet Service Provider – That’s us! Internet Service Providers are companies that offer access to a broadband connection to consumers and businesses.

MAC Address – Media Access Control address – This is a unique address found on almost all devices that connect to the internet or a network. Laptops, computers, mobile phones, routers, printers and much more all have one of these to help identify themselves to the internet. Our engineers use information like this when setting up your connection for the first time.

Mbps & Gbps – Megabit and Gigabit per second – This is an abbreviation used to show broadband speed. The higher the number, the faster your broadband speed is capable of. 1000Mbps is the same as 1Gbps. You sometimes will also see this written as Mb/s or Gb/s for ease.

Router / Hub – This is small box installed in your home where your home devices all connect too. They often contain a modem (but they are sometimes separate, especially in full fibre installations) that provide access to the internet.

Modem – Not a phrase used by much in the UK as modem have traditionally been installed inside routers. A modem is what provides the connection in your home to the internet. In full fibre installations this is the small box installed on your wall or skirting board near to where the fibre enters your home.

Web

Wi-Fi – The standard technology used around the world to allow wireless devices (such as mobile phones, laptops etc) to connect to the internet without wires. There are different versions of Wi-Fi, and they are getting better all the time. Wi-Fi 5 is commonplace now with Wi-Fi 6 starting to appear in modern routers and devices. It’s backwards compatible so it will always work with older versions.

Digital Telephone / Voice-over-Internet-Protocol – This is how modern phone service is delivered. It uses only your internet connection and does not require any traditional copper line or dedicated phone socket. It plugs into your broadband router and often allow clearer calls and enhanced features. We offer this!

Streaming – Streaming data (usually audio and video) on demand allows customers immediate access to music, films and more without the need to wait to download them first. This is how modern content services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, Spotify, Apple Music and more operate.

VoD – Video on Demand – This is another term used to stream and download videos from content providers. Modern TV services offer this with BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All4, My5 and more.