What is point of having broadband over 10mb?

[Locky33]

I don't see the point of Virgin investing in Broadband speeds to the excess of 20mb. This would only be mainly for people who download things they shouldn't be downloading. I run 4 computers off my 10mb service and get no delay and satisfactory downloads. I use you tube and some video streaming i just don't see why anybody would need a faster service.

I don't mean to sound like an old man am i missing something on line is there something that would make me want faster broadband?

[danielf]

I'm on Be 24Mb, and don't download much. But the next lower tier is 8Mb, and costs £13.50 pcm compared to £17.50 for 24Mb. £4 pcm isn't a big deal, and I like to be able to get what I want quickly when I do download something. I don't see much point in going faster though.

[Gary L]

I don't see any point in going faster than I already am, and I do make use of the 18MB connection I have.
I think if we were all honest and thought about it we would all think the same.

[leexgx]

if your not downloading alot then 10mb is fine even 5mb is for most home users

i fix computers at users house so 2mb is an drag most of the time most users on cable are on 10mb where i am some on 2 still but they be 10mb soon hopefully, BT lines are bad where i am but i am on the outer edge of the phone network (4.5km line of sight ; )

[sparky621]

Its all down to how you use your connection. I have to be honest when its been working I've been happy with 2Mb. 10Mb will be a bonus but I don't think at the moment I'll use it. When my boys are older things will probably change though. Hopefully by then we'll have been upgraded again :D

[Locky33]

I used my parents rubbish 2mb Sky service other day i did notice it was slow. Point is Virgin is investing in improving broadband speeds the many customers wont use. I think could be better spent clearing debts and enabling more customers expanding cable network or improving tv service.

[sparky621]

Its a marketing ploy. Like the car that can do 180mph.Clearing debts, expanding the network (2 don't go together!) and improving TV service don't make headlines. Its a "Don't go to ADSL, we're faster" thing.

[merc2001]

I don't see the point of Virgin investing in Broadband speeds to the excess of 20mb. This would only be mainly for people who download things they shouldn't be downloading. I run 4 computers off my 10mb service and get no delay and satisfactory downloads. I use you tube and some video streaming i just don't see why anybody would need a faster service.

I don't mean to sound like an old man am i missing something on line is there something that would make me want faster broadband?

I have 3 pc's and a laptop running the lads play online gaming and myself online gaming and the wife looks after her dog on facebook and i stuggle on a 20 meg connexion any lower and i'm goosed

[Locky33]

I meant clearing debts or expand network. In the currant climate 6.1 billion debt does not look like good finance. However with interest rates so low would they not be having lower payments?

[moroboshi]

This is a really bizarre thread. The point of high capacity internet is because it is the future of all entertainment media - music, movies, games, etc. Try downloading an HD movie from iTunes or Xbox Marketplace on even a 20mbit connection and see how long it takes.

Countries like Japan and South Korea already have 100mbits+ and are going to push much further. Sadly our infrastructure is so antiquated the gap between us will become an epic, unsurmountable gulf over the coming years.

[leexgx]

bt is infrastructure is antiquated, cable is not so much but need to start laying lines out to places where they are not, they really do need to do New estates as around where i am every one has to use BT lines as cable have not put there pipe work in when the ground was dug up

[moroboshi]

bt is infrastructure is antiquated, cable is not so much but need to start laying lines out to places where they are not, they really do need to do New estates as around where i am every one has to use BT lines as cable have not put there pipe work in when the ground was dug up

Cable here is really antiquated. We should have fibre to the home, as they do in Japan and S Korea. Even the US, which has notoriously bad telcos is now getting fibre to the home. Old fashioned copper just doesn't cut it anymore.

[chickendippers]

More internet enabled devices in the home (VOIP phones, Media Centres, IPTV, multiple computers, internet radios etc) require more bandwidth. 50MB is being targeted at doing multiple bandwidth intensive things simultaneously.

Which is all well and good, but as soon as you try and connect to the US it slows to a crawl because VM have skimped on the transatlantic peering.

[Gary L]

Its a marketing ploy. Like the car that can do 180mph.Clearing debts, expanding the network (2 don't go together!) and improving TV service don't make headlines. Its a "Don't go to ADSL, we're faster" thing.

Upgrade and download faster and STM don't go together. the STM cancels out the point of upgrading and downloading faster.

ADSL+ goes past while cable is still stuck at the lights :)

[Peter_]

I am on 20Mb and never seem to be STMed but I am lucky if I get 15Mb so swings and roundabouts, if I was on a lower package I probably would be STMed.

[broadbandking]

I am on 20Mb and never seem to be STMed but I am lucky if I get 15Mb so swings and roundabouts, if I was on a lower package I probably would be STMed.

Lets not start a STM war, I don't STM either lol

[homealone]

I'm on 20Mb/s as part of the 'triple XL' deal, which means the enhanced speed is discounted as part of the bundle.

The main advantage to me is that when I want to download a file e.g. a tv programme in x264 720p format , which is about 1.2MB, I can get it in less than 10 minutes.

- as that programme then takes around 40 minutes to watch I don't see any advantage in downloading it any more quickly. As such, the ratio of download speed to viewing time is about right for me - there will be a case for 10Mb/s, also.

- I personally cannot justify a 50Mb/s connection for the way I use the service, but other opinions are available ;)

[Horace]

I'm pretty much in agreement with all these posts, there was a point at around 10meg when ISP's were playing catch-up to the content but 20meg pretty much surpassed that and until we all get into HD downloads then 50meg feels like overkill. Having said that I can't get the "640K ought to be enough for anybody" misquote out of my head.

[Gary L]

I'm on 20Mb/s as part of the 'triple XL' deal, which means the enhanced speed is discounted as part of the bundle.

The main advantage to me is that when I want to download a file e.g. a tv programme in x264 720p format , which is about 1.2MB, I can get it in less than 10 minutes.

I knew it was fast, but not that fast :)

[Retrovertigo]

As digital distribution starts to become the norm in the future, companies like VM should think less about chasing the large headline grabbing speeds, and more about being able to maintain current speeds without the need for capping.

Can you imagine how hard it will be to download 6-7gb sized games, larger HD movies and the like, when at the moment you can use a 20meg line at full speed for about, what, an hour maximum before you are capped. Ridiculous.

[leexgx]

around 15 mins if its max download speed (only 3gb STM) it does drop to 5mb but still faster then what alot of adsl lines are

norm takes around 45mins to download 7gb the 20mb cap should be higher like 5gb but

i think thay should just upgrade every one to the new modem then that should remove all the hacked modems

if your an none muti gigabit downloaded 10mb will do unless every one is watching youtube in hd on 4 computers

[Stuart]

I meant clearing debts or expand network. In the currant climate 6.1 billion debt does not look like good finance. However with interest rates so low would they not be having lower payments?

However, IIRC, in 2001/2002 it was nearer 17 billion, so they are heading in the right direction.

---------- Post added at 12:32 ---------- Previous post was at 12:16 ----------

As digital distribution starts to become the norm in the future, companies like VM should think less about chasing the large headline grabbing speeds, and more about being able to maintain current speeds without the need for capping.

Can you imagine how hard it will be to download 6-7gb sized games, larger HD movies and the like, when at the moment you can use a 20meg line at full speed for about, what, an hour maximum before you are capped. Ridiculous.



They should. However, you should bear in mind that a lot of customers do buy something for the bragging rights. How many people buy a Porsche because they can legally do 150mph? How many people by a full HD 40inch Plasma and *really* take advantage of it?

Saying a network can provide a reliable service will not attract these people. They will expect it. Saying that the network can manage 50 meg will.