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What's the difference between ADSL and Fibre broadband?

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When choosing a broadband service for your business there are number of things to take into consideration, but for most people as long as they have a high-speed, reliable connection which doesn't cost the earth, they probably don't give much thought to what type of broadband it is.

What is ADSL?

The most common versions of broadband are ADSL which stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line and Fibre Optic Broadband. Both systems have different pros and cons, and which one you choose will depend on how much your business uses broadband services.

So, ADSL works via copper cable and was originally created purely for phone lines. It does however, offer high-speed connections unlike dial-up systems. It is widely available and provides competitive speed rates. If you need basic connectivity and don't use online services too actively, ASDL could be an ideal option.

On the downside, ADSL only works well if you are near to the exchange where it runs from the further away you are, the slower your speed will be unfortunately. You also need a landline to access the internet in this way although it can be cheaper than fibre optic broadband costs.

What is fibre optic broadband?

So fibre optic broadband was designed deliberately for internet traffic and works using fibre optic cables, with signals travelling through it at the speed of light making it much more reliable than the traditional copper wire of ADSL.

Fibre optic services can offer speeds which are five times as fast as ADSL lines can offer. The fibre optic services suffer less from any interference and it doesn't matter how close you are or far you are from the exchange.

So for businesses using VOIP services, higher data usage and are very dependent on their internet services, a fibre optic service is by far the better choice due its speed and reliability.

Fibre optic broadband doesn't need a landline service for businesses to operate on the internet so there is no requirement to pay extra line rental costs unlike an ADSL system.

On the downside, fibre optic services are still fairly new so they are not available in all areas, particularly in some of the more remote rural areas, so you may not necessarily have a choice in your broadband service. It can also be more expensive.

So if you are choosing a broadband service for your business, it may be that your location dictates you have to use an ADSL service and as long as you are near enough to the exchange, it should be sufficient and provide high enough speed for your business to work effectively.

However, if you have a choice, then fibre optic broadband will give you a much faster, reliable service and doesn't require a phone line, so in the long run; it would be the better option for your business.

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