Are you having trouble with your internet connection at home? Is the Internet service slow, unreliable and lagging? If so, it is high time to change your internet plan and upgrade to a better plan.
In this article, we will be discussing everything you need to know about internet plans and which plan is suitable for your daily use. To know about the best home internet plans, check the article.
What are the four types of broadband services available for your home?
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When the internet was first launched for the common people, everyone had to use the painfully slow and irritating dial-up modems. Previously, internet or broadband services were served through the home telephone line and therefore had a lot of glitches and issues. Nowadays, most people prefer using the home internet, which is available via a broadband connection.
There are four different types of high-speed internet connection available for your home:
1. The Direct Subscriber Line
Most people know this as DSL, where a telephone line provides an internet connection to the customers. However, the DSL connection is very different from the dial-up internet.
It might be a bit slower than the cable internet, but you can easily stream your favourite programs, play online games and perform all the other typical web activities.
DSL can be further categorized into two types: Asymmetrical and symmetric. An asymmetrical connection offers faster download speeds but slow upload speed. On the other hand, symmetric DSL offers the same download and upload speed.
2. Cable internet
Many people prefer getting internet service from their cable operator. So the internet connection is offered through the same coaxial cable wires which deliver cable TV to your house. Cable internet speeds may vary depending on your location, but you can notice a speed of about 3 to 100 + Mbps in most cases.
Cable internet is easy to install. If you have an existing cable connection, you can simply add internet via a phone call or visit the website.
3. Satellite internet
Instead of wires or cables, the internet is transmitted directly to a small satellite attached to your rooftop. The download speed is approximately 15 Mbps, and the uploading speed is about 3 Mbps. Satellite internet providers provide internet services to many remote locations where cable or DSL connection is unavailable.
4. Fios
One of the fastest internet services is provided by Fibre Optic Service, which uses light-speed technology. Fibre optic cables send data as pulses of light through thin strands of glass. These pulses move at about 186000 miles per second to your router, where they are converted into electrical impulses, which your computer or smartphone can convert. You can get a download speed of about 300 Mbps and an uploading speed of about 65 Mbps.
How to choose the best Internet plan for your home
Once you have learnt about the Internet services available in your locality, it is time to select the internet plan. While selecting the best Internet plan, you have to consider the download and upload speed and the data limit.
Download speed
It is the speed at which you can download files and other data directly to your computer. Some of the common web activities where data is downloaded include streaming or downloading a movie or playing a video game. When you have a fast download speed, you will get a smoother internet experience.
On the other hand, slow download speed can result in buffering, dropped connections, and other issues.
Uploading speed
This is the speed by which your computer or your smartphone sends data somewhere else on the internet. For example, faster uploading speeds are necessary if you are running a file server or regularly using cloud-based storage space, or backing up your system.
The data limit of your internet plan
Previously the limits on the data were rated. The customer could download as much data as they wanted, and people usually did that. However, ISPs started to throttle these heavy end-users by reducing the download and upload speed.
Nowadays, 1000 GB a month is standard for a family of 3. This will allow you to stream your favorite series a few hours per day, surf the internet, download applications and movies, and play online video games. As long as you are not downloading gigabytes of data, you do not need to pay for a large data limit.
But there are a couple of situations that can secretly but dramatically impact your download rates and the data you are using:
- Zombie devices
- 4K video streaming
What is the best Internet plan for the future?
As technology advances, video quality improves, including 4K and 8K videos. We also play realistic video games, the graphics and challenges of which are improving as technology advances. So in simple words, data consumption will increase as the technology updates. Even if you are not changing your internet plan, you will notice data inflation.
This is an important factor, especially if you are in a long-term contract with your internet service provider. In most cases, cable internet providers offer bundled packages which are comparatively cheaper when compared to several years of unlimited service.
Most internet service providers will willingly sell you a more extensive data cap and often offer heavy discounts and deals if you negotiate a long-term contract. So it is always recommended that you opt for a data cap or an internet plan which offers higher bandwidth, more data coverage and better speed than your current needs.
Final Verdict
It might be possible that the internet plan that you are currently using is not the best for your daily needs. Especially if you are working from home, you will need to upgrade to better data plans. So it is advised that you check the various options and the data plans available in your area. An upgraded and new internet plan might provide better service, effective customer care, higher internet speed and more extensive data caps.
Before choosing your home internet plan, it is advised that you note down your internet requirement. While making the note, you must also include the anticipated requirement for more data in the near future.