2. What is broadband?
• ‘Broadband is a class of communication channels
capable of supporting a wide range of
frequencies… a broadband channel can carry
multiple signals by dividing the total capacity into
multiple, independent, bandwidth
channels, where each channel operates only on a
specific range of frequencies.’
• Simply put, it’s a means of faster internet
access, up to 20 to 5 times faster than regular
‘dial up’ internet.
3. Types of Broadband
• DSL (Digital subscriber • Wireless (‘Wifi’, ‘WiMax’)
line) • Requires antenna to be
• Works through phone line installed
• Pros include; easy set up • Pros include; highly
– only a phone line is portable, very high speed,
required, reliability constantly being
• Cons include; weaker developed and improved
signal strength which • Cons include; highly
means lower speed dependent on physical
(peaks at around 20 and climatic conditions,
mbps) network is more
vulnerable to viruses
4. DSL and WiFi explained…
• DSL stands for ‘digital • WiFi stands for ‘Wireless
subscriber line’. It’s a medium fidelity’. Technology that
that transfers data over phone allows computers through a
lines and is used to connect to wireless signal.
the internet. The wires used • Nearly all computers have WiFi
are copper, like a normal cards in them allowing users to
phone line. search for and connect to
• 2 types – ADSL (asymmetric) wireless routers.
and SDSL (symmetric). ADSL • WiFi connection exists
allows download speeds of up between the router and the
to 1.5 megabits per sec and device only.
upload speeds of 128 kilobits • Access points for WiFi must be
per sec. SDSL allows download ‘WiFi Certified’.
speeds of 9 megabits per sec
and upload speeds of 640
Kilobits per sec.
5. Types of Broadband Cont…
• Satellite Broadband • Fiber Optic/Cable
• Requires dish antenna • Sends info as pulses of
• Pros include; like wireless light through individual
it’s very fast, available optical fibres
globally • Pros include; bandwidth
• Cons include; latency capacity, signal reliability
issues as signal must • Cons include; Lower
travel extremely availability than other
far, affected by climatic broadband methods
conditions and satellites
can be expensive
6. Satellite and Fiber Optic explained
• Fiber optic is a cable • Satellite broadband is
made from thin filaments when your home of office
made by materials such has a satellite dish that
as glass that carry beams sends and receives signals
of light. Data is sent from satellites that orbit
through these filaments around 22000 miles
at the speed of light. above the equator.
• Data is sent through the • It is important that your
cable through the use of a satellite is located
laser transmitter that somewhere with a clear
encodes frequency signals view of the sky.
into pulses of light.
8. What the providers offer…
• As a sole trader in the arts management
sector working from a home office with a staff
of about 8 to 10 it is important to compare the
pricing, speed, data allowance and type of
broadband that would have the maximum
benefits for running my business efficiently
• The following slides will outline some of the
various offers from each broadband
provider, including most basic and most
advanced
9. • Basic broadband & home • Ultimate Broadband &
phone bundle Home phone
• Wired DSL • Wired DSL
• Includes; 10GB per • Includes; Uncapped data
month, Up to 8Mb speed, allowance, Up to 24 Mb
Free calls to landlines speed, free calls to
• Cost; €30 set up, €40 for landlines
1st 6 months, €45 • Cost; €30 set up, €55 for
thereafter 1st 6 months, €60
• Total yearly cost: €480 thereafter
• Total yearly cost; €660
10. • Vodafone Value • Vodafone Ultimate
Broadband & Talk Off Broadband & Talk
peak anytime
• Wired DSL • Wired DSL
• Includes; 40GB per • Includes; 350GB per
month, Up to 8Mb speed, month, Up to 24 Mb
free calls to landlines Speed, free calls to
• Cost; €20 for 1st month, landlines
€40 thereafter, €20.32 set • Cost; €39 for 1st month,
up €59 thereafter, €20.32 set
• Total yearly cost; €480.32 up
• Total yearly cost; €708.32
11. • Digiweb provide both wired (DSL) and wireless
broadband (WiFi) in their home bundles
• The best DSL option they provide in terms of value is
the 24Mb DSL HomePro which includes 150GB data
allowance, 24Mb speed with free installation and costs
€44.95 a month making it a yearly cost of €539.40,
making it only €10 dearer than their 8Mb DSL Extra
option that only provides 40GB and 8Mb
• To add phone to the HomePro option it costs €69.99
monthly making it a yearly cost of €839.88
12. • Imagine 7Mb WiMax • Onwave twelve with pay &
Broadband & Anytime go
Phone • Satellite
• Wireless • Includes; 16GB per
• Includes; Uncapped data month, Up to 12Mb speed,
allowance, Up to 7Mb • Cost; €64.95 per month and
speed, Free calls to €179 installation fee
landlines and free • Total yearly cost; €958.40
international calls
• Cost; €100 • Onwave eight with onwave
installation, €27.50 for 1st unlimited – offers only 8GB
12 months, €55 thereafter and 8Mb for €957.80 a year
but offers free landline and
• Total yearly cost; €430 international calls
13. • Fibre power Broadband 100Mb & Home
Phone Anywhere 100
• Fibre optic/Cable
• Includes; Uncapped data allowance, 100Mb
speed, free landlines, free international calls
• Cost; €45 installation fee, €24.50 for first 4
months, €49 thereafter
• Total Yearly cost; €535
14. My Choice
• Throughout looking at the various options each company provides
including important factors such as cost, speed and data allowance
as well as weighing out the pros and cons of the means they use to
provide it my final choice as a SOHO would be to opt for UPC Fibre
power Broadband 100Mb & Home Phone Anywhere 100
Although each company offered a variety of different bundles I feel
that UPC, although not the cheapest option was still affordable in
comparison to companies such as Onwave who offer who offer the
same sort of option for almost twice the price and satellite is
expensive to install as well as being weather dependant, which is
not ideal throughout Winter in Ireland.
Free landline and international calls are also very benefical for a
small business and UPC were one of the only companies who
seemed to offer that with the majority of the bundles.
15. References
Broadband in Wicklow, Types of Broadband, retrieved 15th October
from,
http://www.wicklow.ie/BroadbandinWicklow/BroadbandinWicklow/in
dex.html#beginners_guide
Compare TV, Home Phone and Broadband, retrieved 15th October
from,
http://www.bonkers.ie/compare-tv-broadband-
phone/wicklow/broadband-in-wicklow/
Definition of Broadband, retrieved 15th October from,
http://www.worldnet-long-distance.com/definition-of-broadband/
Pros and Cons of DSL, retrieved 15th October from,
http://techtips.salon.com/pros-cons-dsl-24236.html
16. References cont…
Pros and Cons of satellite broadband, retrieved 16th October from,
http://www.dsl-isp-guide.com/pros_cons_satellite_broadband.htm
Digiweb phone and broadband bundles, retrieved 16th October from,
http://www.digiweb.ie/home/bundles/index.aspx
DSL, retrieved 16th October from,
http://www.techterms.com/definition/dsl
Satellite Broadband, retrieved 16th October from,
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/satellite_broadband.html
