In the past few years the way we watch television and use the internet has changed dramatically, making broadband a necessity for most households. With the advent of iplayer and all the other on demand, online television channels, the need for fast download times and reliability is paramount. Downloading a programme from iplayer on a dial up line would take hours…if not days! With a good broadband speed the same process can be completed in minutes. And if you want to watch it online you need a good connection speed to ensure there is no lag on the video, as well as a reliable connection to prevent it hanging half way through the programme (and it’s always just when it gets really interesting, isn’t it?!)
But surely we have broadband for more than just the ability to watch a television programme we missed last week and forgot to record? Well, yes. In fact since the advent of wireless broadband we can make use of the fact that the internet is no longer tied down inside desktop computers. Laptops are obviously portable, but when you’re on a packed train on your way to London it can be difficult to balance a laptop on your knees, so instead more of us are reaching for the mobile phone which connects via the train’s wireless router. With 3G technology it is every bit as quick as a laptop, but has the added benefit of being easy to use with just one hand, and doesn’t take up much space.
In this new world of connectivity the devices that can use our broadband connection to go online is expanding rapidly. Even game consoles connect nowadays, and you can guarantee that next year and the year after, even more of our belongings will have an internet connection built in as standard. The internet is becoming more and more a part of everyday life for everyone, so we all need a reliable, fast connection to start with.
