Introduction

Broadband is just a word we use when we're talking about any kind of fast Internet connection. It's as simple as that. If you already have an Internet connection, you probably connect to the Internet with a modem that plugs into your telephone line (often referred to as a "dial-up connection"), it is likely that you find the time it takes to display a webpage is quite slow.

A broadband connection is actually not all that different from a dial-up connection. The equipment is very similar - a different kind of modem (piece of hardware that connects your computer to the internet), and in many cases the connection is still made through your telephone line (the alternative is to use a cable supplier that uses new cables laid under the street outside your home), in the South West the supplier of this is Virgin Media (formally know as Telewest).

The difference with broadband over dial-up is that you'll have an Internet connection that is always on, 24 hours a day.

Normally you pay a flat monthly fee, no matter how often you use the Internet. And a broadband connection is much faster that dial-up so you won't have to wait as long for displaying a website.