It’s been an exciting time with the third (and hopefully) final campaign to bring leading-edge broadband capabilities to the rural village of Spaldwick in Cambridgeshire. Historically, urban areas have always been favoured when it comes to the latest broadband technology, which means that rural communities have to be proactive to make sure they don’t fall behind. Following a successful local broadband campaign, Spaldwick was one of the first rural villages in the UK to get standard ADSL broadband in July […] . Click here to read the full article.
Broadband
Helping to Improve the UK’s Wi-Fi Speeds One Step at a Time
I’ve just written a new Wi-Fi speed enhancement post on my Increase Broadband Speed site, which tackles one of the most popular questions asked on online forums: What is a Good Signal Level or Signal-to-Noise Ratio for Wi-Fi? I cannot think of another area to Wi-Fi where performance claims exceed the reality experienced by broadband users by such an extent. With so many people connecting every device to Wi-Fi, inadequate Wi-Fi performance often masks the underlying (often excellent) performance […] . Click here to read the full article.
How to Disable Wi-Fi with Sky Q to Use Ethernet Instead
One of my bugbears is the widespread overuse of Wi-Fi. While Wi-Fi is convenient, there’s generally a price to be paid in terms of performance. Wi-Fi is responsible for a substantial proportion of broadband problems. I strongly recommend that, when you have devices that do not move (such as a set-top box or TV), connect them with an Ethernet cable rather than via Wi-Fi. As well as improving performance, you will potentially free up Wi-Fi spectrum and capacity that can […] . Click here to read the full article.
Average Monthly Broadband Usage to Triple by 2025
Over the next five years, average home monthly Internet usage in the UK will triple from its 2019 level, surpassing 1 TB per month by 2025, as shown in my forecast shown above. This growth, which is in line with usage growth predicted for the USA, will be primarily driven by TV and video services delivered via superfast and ultrafast broadband networks. This traffic growth will have profound implications for many broadband users, which include: the need to upgrade to […] . Click here to read the full article.
BBC Resumes its iPlayer Ultra HD Trial
In an attempt to alleviate strain on broadband networks during the coronavirus pandemic, the BBC ceased its iPlayer Ultra HD trial. I’m delighted to report that the BBC has now recommenced the trial. Several series are currently offered: His Dark Materials Dracula Seven Worlds, One Planet. Image quality looks fantastic. The images here are photographs I took directly of a Sony OLED screen. Compared with the overly-compressed images delivered on BBC One HD and BBC Two HD through conventional broadcasting […] . Click here to read the full article.
Disney Plus Increases UK Bit Rates to Match the USA
The great news is that Disney has substantially improved its bit rates to match its US streaming service and Disney Plus now looks and sounds much better in the UK. The images shown are photographs taken of a Sony 77-inch OLED TV. In general, the higher the bit rate used, the better the picture and sound quality achieved. You can read my full review on my Increase Broadband Speed site here: Disney Plus in the UK Finally Matches Bit Rates […] . Click here to read the full article.
Best Broadband Routers and Wi-Fi Access Points for 2020
I’ve been steaming ahead producing new content for my Increase Broadband Speed site. I’ve now revised my Which Broadband Modem Router Guide, which covers the key capabilities you need to maximise broadband speed. As I’m always asked to recommend equipment to buy, I’ve also produced two new ‘best buy’ guides: Best Routers For 2020 Best Wi-Fi Access Points For 2020. From my experience as a Broadband Champion, helping people with their broadband problems online and face-to-face, apart from poor connection […] . Click here to read the full article.
Reviewing Sky’s New Ultra HD HDR Service
It’s finally here – High Dynamic Range (HDR) on Sky’s Ultra HD (4k) service – and it looks amazing. HDR makes pictures more vivid and realistic, with more intense colours and, for many viewers, HDR makes more difference than the extra resolution provided by Ultra HD. It’s not good news for everyone though as some Sky Q boxes are not compatible with HDR. You can read my review on my Increase Broadband Speed site here: Review: Sky Finally Launches HDR […] . Click here to read the full article.
Launching the New Increase Broadband Speed Guide
Technology inevitably moves on and my current focus is performing a major update of my Increase Broadband Speed website. It’s a huge job and will take many months. Last week, a new WordPress theme was installed, with lots of technical changes behind the scenes to make the site run faster. One of the most important pages on the site is the Increase Broadband Speed Guide, which has now been visited by more than a million people in the UK. The […] . Click here to read the full article.
Reviewing the Disney Plus Streamed TV Service
As an AV enthusiast and broadband advocate, I’ve been very excited by the rapid roll-out and take-up of TV streaming services. These have increased consumer choice and introduced Ultra HD 4k content and Dolby Atmos sound. Disney has just launched its Disney Plus service in the UK and at the great price of £5.99 per month. Because of the coronavirus crisis, UK streaming providers have reduced bit rates to lessen their load on the UK’s broadband infrastructure so the service […] . Click here to read the full article.
Where Next for Superfast Broadband? (With Video)
Superfast broadband arrived in Spaldwick in July 2014. With take-up well above national levels, our village received a great deal of national attention, including a visit by Ed Vaizey – the then Broadband Minister – and senior figures from BT and Government. I have seen Broadband Ministers come and go, and now over 80% of residents in the village in which I live subscribe to superfast broadband. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the Connecting Cambridgeshire team (above), who are a […] . Click here to read the full article.