broadband news

Cable Broadband

At the start of 2008, around 65% of UK households had access to the UK's cable network, which is made up of optical fibre cables laid under the ground in certain areas. The network is used to carry television, telephone and cable broadband services.

What is cable broadband?

Cable broadband is a faster alternative to the usual type of broadband, which is carried over phone wires and known as ADSL.

How does it work?

Unlike ADSL, cable broadband does not use telegraph or copper wires to transmit information between your computer and the internet. It bypasses the BT telephone exchange, meaning that the speeds it can provide are potentially much higher than those offered by standard broadband.

Why is cable broadband faster?

Because it uses the UK's purpose-built optical fibre network to send information that would normally be sent using our aging telephone network. Unlike traditional copper-wired phone lines, there is almost no limit to what can be sent via fibre optic cables.

How does that affect me?

The high capacity of cable broadband makes it great if you want to transfer lots of data, for example downloading music and movies, or sending pictures to loved ones. The primary benefit of cable broadband is the volume of information you can send and receive, and the speed at which you can do it.

Must I live in a cable area?

Yes. Not everyone has access to cable broadband - around a third of people live outside areas that have fibre optic cables laid in them. Also, only those who live or work in an urban area are likely to be near a cable node. In most cases the 'last mile' is made up of copper wires anyway, removing some of the speed.

26/08/2008
Author: CompareBroadbandUK staff writer

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