How to gauge your need for speed in personal broadband

The race to provide superfast broadband to UK customers just got a little bit hotter.  In a statement released yesterday, Ofcom, the UK’s telecom regulator, gave BT the go-ahead to begin installing the fibre optics necessary to provide thousands of customers with a 100mbp broadband connection.

Ofcom Chief Executive Ed Richards hails the latest advancement in broadband speeds as “one of the most important developments in modern communications for many decades.”  He continues,

“It will deliver significant benefits to consumers and businesses with the prospect of new digital services delivered over the internet at high speed.”

To put 100mbps of broadband speed into perspective: The average connection speed for UK users is estimated at 3.6mbps, and most mainstream broadband plans offer speeds of 8-15mbps.  The fastest broadband speed currently on the market is offered by Virgin, whose XXL broadband plan boasts a connection speed of 50mbps.

The move towards faster connection speeds is certainly welcome news to the tech industry, as well as companies interested in a fast and reliable broadband service.  But are connection speeds of up to 100mbps really relevant to consumers interested in a broadband plan for personal use?

Here’s the low-down on the current broadband speeds available on the market and what you should consider when searching for the plan best suited to your internet needs.

What broadband speed is right for me?
The faster your internet connection, the more expensive your broadband plan is likely to be.  Virgin’s XXL package is currently being offered for £50 – £35 more than the cheapest plan, the L package offering speeds up to 15mbps.

Needless to say, you won’t want to pay for more speed than you actually need.  Broadband speeds of 4mbps or less should be sufficient for users who do little more than check their e-mail and surf the net.  Heavy users who frequently download audio and video files should consider a broadband plan offering speeds of at least 8mbps or more.

The speed of your broadband connection at any given time will be split among all users who are currently surfing the internet, so you will probably require a faster connection if you cohabitate with fellow surfers.  If you live in a shared house of heavy internet users, you might opt for a 15 or 20mbp broadband plan – and perhaps even greater if you live with 4 or more people.

So who on earth needs a 50mbp broadband connection?
Techie enthusiasts and everyday surfers alike are using the internet for more and more purposes – from online gaming to watching television and films.  As the internet offers more and more services to everyday users, our demands for faster broadband speeds will increase.  High Definition video, for instance, could potentially place a strain on lower broadband speeds, particularly if multiple users are connected to the network at once.

Though 50mbp and 100mbp broadband connections might currently suit extraordinarily heavy internet users, superfast broadband will undoubtedly be the norm in years to come.  But for now, more modest plans should do the trick for your average surfer.