Time is changing. More and more game demos are getting bigger in file size. More TV streaming are going HD. Cloud services. Families with kids will need 'net access. And this is where ADSL2+ is not fast enough to handle all of them.

My 3 years old kid watch kids TV show via iPlayer and that slows down my connection for my uses. (4 meg down, 1 meg up)

So, yeah I am looking forward to Fibre connection, but it won't be ready till end of year!

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

"baud" even.

Oh no!

You will start the debate about the difference between Baud and and bits per second again

No debate necessary.

http://electronicdesign.com/communications/what-s-di...

Not forgetting the wonder of the 300 baud acoustic coupler we used to use.

So DSL works at 4000 baud on each tone.

In reply to a post by WWWombat:

Back in 2000, I was lucky to be on an exchange that was part of the early trials, so I jumped at the chance for a 2Mbps connection. It was free to trial, but the real price later wasn't so easy to swallow. But oh-so-worth doing.

I should add one thing...

In all that long history of connecting, getting a fibre-based connection was the second "Wow" moment (the 2Mbps ADSL was obviously the first).

However, the 80/20 speed I'm now getting is very much the first time I've truly felt that I had enough speed. That if someone offered me higher speeds at a greater cost (even just £5pm), I wouldn't automatically take it.

That'll change, I'm sure...

I currently get 46 down and 20 up and the only reason I would look to change at present is for the guaranteed certainty on FTTPoD. The fact my speed is better than the BT estimate and the cab is fairly new means I am expecting some slow downs as more people connect.

If it wasn't a 3 year contract I would sign up for FTTPoD (no real issue with the install or monthly costs but I hate any contract more than about 12 months - 18 months absolute max).

I started off hooking to Prestel via an acoustic modem, and remember well the days of having to search boards for software you then had to figure out for yourself to get anywhere at all. Many of those full of 'knowledge' in the well sheltered WIMP environment of today would probably be like a fish out of water.

Edited by professor973 (Fri 28-Jun-13 13:30:59)

In reply to a post by FordStanza:

I'm just curious about why people need superfast broadband.

If you can get a decent ADSL2+ connection, then why do people need or choose FTTx or whatever? Or are people choosing Fibre mainly because their alternative copper connection is dodgy?

Thanks to anyone who can clarify...

Your question is a huge if.

the amount of people that can get 24mbit on adsl2+ is a pittance, even 16mbit+ is only single digit % figures.

The real advantage of FTTC is not the headline 80mbit speeds but rather the huge jump in average speeds, average speeds go from 8-12mbit to over 30mbit. Plus a noticeable jump in upload speeds and stability.

Things that are really taking of now are cloud services and media streaming services.

A big if indeed.

We're in Twickenham and on our best ADSL speed was 5Mb/s with quite a lot of errors. One person in the house could just about watch something on iPlayer but at the expense of everyone else's surfing.

We moved to FTTC as soon as it was available at the beginning of June 2012 and we were the first connection on our cabinet. We're on 80/20 and it's lovely. Being able to watch iPlayer while downloading ISOs while the rest of the family surf is nice.

We probably only 'need' 20/5 but 80/20 is nice to have.

Our VDSL sync rates started at 103/36 but have dropped over time and are currently 86/27. I assume this is due to VDSL crosstalk as other people get FTTC on our cabinet.