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Tips For Choosing a Good Broadband Provider

Despite the recent global economic woes, broadband growth has hardly been slowed. The total number of users worldwide grew once more by around 11%, with hundreds of millions of users connecting at high speeds using a variety of different technologies and providers. Eastern Europe has seen a boom over the last year and Asian nations such as South Korea continue to lead the world in terms of market penetration and average connection speeds. Wherever you live there will almost certainly be several different broadband providers vying for your custom. And with the different types of broadband technology on offer it can be difficult to choose the right broadband provider.

In general you will have to choose between ADSL, Cable and Mobile broadband. ADSL uses land line telephone cabling to provide the service and is consequently the most common type of broadband with the most providers available. Cable broadband uses underground fiber optic cabling and thus is limited to fewer providers and is available in fewer areas. Mobile broadband is completely wireless, using 3G mobile networks rather than fixed line alternatives.

Speeds vary wildly depending on the service you choose, the provider you opt for and the packages they offer. In general ADSL and mobile broadband connections are slower than cable broadband, with between 2Mbps and 8Mbps the average speeds. However, faster cable connections of between 10Mpbs and 50Mbps are usually more expensive, so should appeal primarily to heavy internet users who enjoy downloading, streaming video and online gaming.

Contract lengths are another variable which will influence your choice of provider. For most ADSL and Cable broadband services you should expect 12 months to be the average minimum contract length. You can opt for lower minimum contracts of 1 month or more, but these will be offered only by certain providers and there may be a higher monthly price or connection charge for such flexible services. Fixed term mobile broadband contracts run between 12 and 24 months in length, with better value available if you are willing to commit to the same provider for a longer period. However, mobile broadband providers often offer pay as you go services. These will either operate on a rolling one month contract or allow you to top up your data allowance and use it as you see fit without a time limit.

Your choice of broadband provider and service will also be affected by the usability and freedom on offer. Both ADSL and Cable can only be delivered to and used within a single property. However, all good providers now offer free wireless routers so that you can turn your fixed line broadband into wireless broadband over a short range. Mobile broadband has no need for a fixed line and as such can be used anywhere in the country. However, you will need a decent 3G signal from your network to connect at a good speed and different networks offer different levels of coverage. All of these factors should affect your choice of broadband provider.