BT, Virgin Media and O2 have all been accused of broadband throttling
. This is a process by which the speed of data run through a given broadband network is contained and controlled. This process which infuriates everyone who purchases broadband based on claims of speed continues to play a role in the constant battle of "up tos." What are "up tos?" These are the promised speeds advertised by the leading United Kingdom broadband providers. They are usual suffixed with a number such as, speeds up to 20MB. The normal increased demand on broadband networks always slows downloads and hence viewing during peak hours. But throttling is a planned procedure that has several purposes. The first of these is simply to make sure there is enough capacity in a system so that everyone has a degree of functionality. The second is to serve as an ersatz punishment for users who take honest advantage of the term unlimited and enjoy as much online time as they like.
The entire matter at hand becomes one of receiving that which you pay for. If you pay for unlimited downloads at 20MB speed then you should receive at least 5 MB speed and not be limited in your overall usage by anything slower.
And if you run a speed test and determine that you are not being treated fairly, what course should you then follow? One is to consider internet without a phone line as delivered by mobile broadband. Whether you use a desktop or laptop computer, once the download speed you are getting drops below 3 MB it is time to investigate other options. One of these is using a dongle to receive broadband via a wireless connection. Dongles for laptops have been in heavy use for several years. Primarily they were used by customers who traveled and needed the convenience of anywhere access to the internet. The devices were expensive and the service was little better than dial up.
Now, mass production has lowered dongle prices and innovation has increased upload and download speeds to the point where mobile broadband in many instances can be faster than a landline connection. There are even options for pay as you go dongles that allow high speed mobile broadband to be purchased only when you need it.
We constantly read about BT and Virgin Media building systems and hardware networks that will soon deliver one, two and even four hundred MB speed to our door. Yet why are we struggling to receive the 8 MB we were promised? There are many excellent free broadband speed test tools available on the internet. They are easy to use and usually located on websites that assist you in finding a better broadband deal if and when you discover that your current company is not delivering the goods.