If you’re about to move home, one thing on your to-do list will be to find a decent broadband supplier that provides a strong connection and the fastest speeds in your area.
With broadband speeds differing from one street to the next, and with widely different connection qualities found from one town or city to another, it’s important that you do your research before taking the plunge and getting into a lengthy contract.
Before you sign on the dotted line and get into a contract with the wrong internet service provider, you’ll want to know that you’re with the company that offers the fastest speeds at the best price.
Here’s how to check broadband in your area so that you get the best speeds for your money.
What Affects Broadband Speeds?
There are several factors that will affect the speed of the broadband in your area. Firstly, the type of line that is available in your area will make the biggest difference.
Traditionally, phone companies used copper lines. In the last decade, fibre optic lines have become the dominant choice in communications. Fibre offers 1,000 times the bandwidth of copper, resulting in vastly faster connection speeds.
But there are still areas that haven’t yet had fibre lines installed. You may often find that one address can connect using a fibre line, whereas three streets away, they’re still on copper.
The other factor that affect speed will be the distance between your home and the exchange. The further the data has to travel, the slower it becomes.
Other factors will include the quality of the wiring going into your home, the faceplate, and finally your router.
Run a Speed Test
If you already live in the address you’re looking for a new broadband deal for, you can check your current speeds using an online speed test.
Alternatively, if you’re yet to move you can find out how fast the broadband is in other addresses in the area by going online and finding a broadband speed test based on address. You’ll find the average speeds in the area.
This type of search will also let you know about the availability of fibre in your area as well as any planned dates of rollouts.
Once you know what types of speeds you are going to be able to achieve, you can start to look for broadband suppliers with packages to suit.
Find A Broadband Provider in Your Area
You’ll need an internet service provider that will be able to give the best possible speeds for the lowest prices.
Use this handy tool to check what the best broadband suppliers are in your area. By putting your postcode into the search bar, you’ll be able to see the specific broadband products that will be available on the type of line that is in your area.
From this information, you’ll be able to see who can supply the fastest broadband, and also the cheapest. You can also compare contract lengths and other features.
Make sure that you understand all of the information and what you’ll be getting if you sign up for any of the broadband deals available in your area.