Compare Broadband Plans in Australia
Posted February 16th, 2012
and last modified April 16th, 2012Get Advice On How to Compare Broadband Plans to Find the One to Suit Your Needs
When buying broadband internet there are six different types for you to choose from. The decision you finally make will be to choose the one that best suits your individual lifestyle. For this reason many people choose more than one. Depending on where they are at the time and what kind of use they are putting their broadband connection to. In some cases you mightn’t have much of a choice, as a lot depends on the geography surrounding your location, whether you live in a rural or urban area and how far you are from either a mobile tower or the local telephone exchange. For this reason we’ll go through the various types, one by one:
- ADSL. To get it right from the very beginning ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. This means it is a technology that allows the transmission of data through the unused portions of copper wire used to carry telephone calls. This can be done because voice calls are carried within a frequency of 0KHz to 4KHz and data is carried between 26KHz and 1104KHz. By using a device known as a splitter you are able to divide your voice transmissions from your data transmissions at the one time. To receive ADSL you need a modem to translate the incoming data into something you can readily understand. It is a fast carrier of data and speeds of 256Kbps are not uncommon. ADSL is widely available throughout Australia and is far superior to dial-up internet services.
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- ADSL2+. This is the latest and fastest broadband technology currently available. At the present time it is only available in the largest population areas of Australia’s major cities. ADSL2+ has doubled the amount of downstream bits a phone line is able to carry and this has resulted in speeds of 24Mbps being obtained in favourable circumstances. ADSL2+ broadband connections are even faster if multiple connections are made from the one telephone line. This means if you create your own local network at home you will be able to increase your downloading speed by double or even triple your normally fast downloading speeds. If you are contemplating upgrading to ADSL2+ you will have to check with your ISP beforehand to make sure it is available in your specific locality. It is all about speed and availability. If it is speed you are after and you are in a favourable locality, go for it, as you will receive a broadband connection that is more reliable and faster than any other broadband connection yet devised.
- Cable. Cable broadband uses the same route that brought cable TV to your home. You are able to use the same wires to bring you TV and your broadband connection at the same time. Even when you do there is still a lot of bandwidth left over for other uses. Cable broadband is therefore available wherever cable TV is available. If you haven’t had a cable installed for TV you will have to have one put in place and this will incur an additional cost. However if you already have the cable installed it might be a good thing to take a look at it. Once again, if you live in a rural area, you will be disadvantaged in that you will be very lucky to have the infrastructure to back up cable technology. If you have doubts about cable access in your area it is advisable to ring either Optus or Telstra to see if it can be accessed from your location. Cable broadband therefore is limited but if it is available where you live it is definitely an option worth looking at. It will give you very high download speeds and you won’t have to worry about things like telephone exchanges being updated or copper wire being able to carry the signal at the speeds you are aiming for.
- Mobile. People easily get confused about mobile and wireless broadband. This is probably because neither need wires for connecting your computer to the internet. Wireless internet allows you to access the internet around your home or in specific places like internet cafe’s, airport lounges or known hot spots, without having to plug into any wires. This enables you to carry your laptop from room to room as long as you remain in range. This is all achieved through the use of a router. Mobile internet is far more flexible. The technology behind mobile broadband is the same used in mobile phones. 3G and 4G technology has revolutionised mobile broadband and speeds approaching that of ADSL are now quite obtainable in many places. Mobile broadband means freedom. No longer are you tied to your bulky PC either at home or in the office. You can now take your work with you on your laptop or notebook, wherever you may travel, as long as you are in range of your internet service providers coverage area, and you have an appropriate USB device to plug in and act as your modem. If you haven’t got mobile broadband already you should seriously consider it as it will change your life as far as your usage of the internet is concerned.
- Naked broadband. This type of internet connection uses your telephone connection to your local exchange but it is entirely dedicated to your data usage not phone calls. Where ADSL and ADSL2+ share your telephone line for voice and data communication. Naked broadband takes over the whole line for data alone. The benefit behind choosing a naked connection is that you save on line rental and phone call costs. You are still able to make phone calls but they must go through your internet connection using a technology known as VoIP. Making phone calls in this way costs very little, in some cases they can even be free. If you don’t rely on your telephone landline too much this is a great way to get broadband on the cheap.
- Wireless. Although many people refer to wireless as being WiFi and W-LAN networks, such as you find in private homes, offices or coffee shops, these connections are usually derived from an ADSL or ADSL2+ technology. Pure wireless broadband is actually long range internet provided through a satellite or broadcast from towers. This is a new technology that is still developing and can be useful for people wanting to download work when away from their home or office.