Broadband Data Limits Explained

Data limits can sometimes leave you scratching your head. You sign up for a broadband service and are quoted an amount of data you can use every month, but what does that data allow you to do?

Most broadband providers offer the customer an unlimited data allowance, but if you’re looking to save a bit of cash or are using a satellite connection, it’s likely that you may have a cap on your usage. A great way of visualising your usage needs can be seen in the table below from Money.co.uk.

Table showing data usage — One GB is made up of 1024Mb

Unlimited broadband is an attractive prospect for many. Being able to navigate the internet, stream HD videos and play online games without the fear of breaching a data cap can put a customer’s mind at ease. Sounds great, right?

Well, there can be some unforeseen issues. Many consumers believe that with an unlimited package comes faster speeds and, unfortunately, that is not true. Being able to consume more data does not mean that your internet will see speed improvements. If speed is a priority to you, look out for “download speed” over data limits. It’s also worth bearing in mind that an ‘unlimited’ data cap usually comes with a fair use policy. Whilst there is no universally accepted ‘fair use’ number, users who heavily participate in peer-2-peer file-sharing networks are more likely to risk being contacted by their ISP.

So, what happens if you go over your data limit?

If you breach your data cap, you can face additional fees on your monthly bill or be subjected to a practice known as ‘throttling’. Throttling is where your broadband provider restricts your speeds at peak times and, depending on your connection speed in the first place, can prove to be quite frustrating.

Luckily, most companies will notify you when you’re approaching your data limit. This allows you to modify your online behaviour in order to ensure you don’t go over your data allowance. However this is not always the case. It’s always a wise idea to keep tabs on your usage and, with most service providers allow you to monitor your usage online or through an app. I yours doesn’t, or you can’t figure out how to set it up, you can find out how much data you’ve used by getting in touch with your service provider directly.

Remember, if you monitor your data usage and are consistently using under your limit, you can always contact your ISP to request a reduced data cap in order to save some pennies!

If you’ve got any questions about data limits or just want to have a chat about broadband, drop us a tweet at @digitaldurham or hop on over to our Facebook page and say hi!

Getting Your Business Online

It is now more important than ever to ensure your business has an online presence, but what are some sure-fire ways to carve out your own online footprint? We’ll be highlighting some key areas to that will help get your enterprise the digital platform it deserves.

Website

Creating a website can be daunting. Most budding entrepreneurs don’t have access to large amounts of cash to throw at fancy web developers or possess the coding knowledge to create a sleek and stylish page on their own.

Don’t fret! There are plenty of options to help you create a clean and cool web page for a relatively low cost (and sometimes, even free). Sites like Wordpress, Squarespace and Wix provide users with the opportunity to create budget, customisable websites without the need for any coding skills. Using these type of companies can help you stand out against others in your sector by providing you with a modern-looking site and giving you the support to maintain it.

Most of these companies provide you with security, backups, software updates and online guides, making your venture in to the online world that little bit more relaxing

Social Media

Whether you like it or not, social media has become a part of many of our daily routines. Whether you find yourself scrolling through Instagram on the bus to work, or checking in with your relatives on Facebook, social media is prevalent in our society.

Getting online and creating a page for your business can help you keep in touch with customers, advertise your products or services and help to give a personality to your enterprise. Each social media site is different, so be sure to swot up on the do’s and don’ts before you indulge; there are tonnes of examples of companies failing to get their tone right and not running their sites effectively.

See below for some handy tips and hints from digital marketers on how to create an effective social media page for your business.

Google

With 3.5bn searches per day, its not hard to see why listing your business on Google can help you gain some exposure. Google’s Google My Business feature allows owners to register their business, providing further detail like address, opening times and pictures, to help potential customers find more info on your enterprise. This function also provides customers with the ability to post a quick review of your business, assigning you a rating out of five stars and leaving space to detail their experience should they wish.

Say, for example, you run a butcher shop. If someone was looking to find butchers in Durham city, they would type “Durham city butchers” and a list of options would be provided to them, detailing location, opening hours and how well they’re rated.

This service that Google provides also gives you the opportunity to access bite-sized lessons on marketing and the ability to get help from experts in their online community.

Ensuring you have a presence on Google can help new customers find you, instead of your competition.

Gone are the days where you need to be tech god to create an online presence. Getting your business online is becoming easier, less time intensive and helps you compete in an ever-growing marketplace. An online presence can be what separates you from a competitor, giving you an advantage and helping you grow your business even further!

While you’re here, why not check out another on of our business-focused posts? Click here to learn how fibre broadband can help your business!

How can fibre help your business?

When people think of the benefits of super fast broadband, most will probably think about a lack of buffering and speedy downloads. Although that’s great (who doesn’t love loading up Netflix without a wait?!), the benefits of superfast can be even more impactful on small business owners. Now that the vast majority of people have access to an internet connection, the internet is a powerful tool that every business, big or small, should be utilising in order to maximise growth and service.

Curious? Well, lets take a look at some of the ways fibre broadband can help your business grow.

More people connected:

Does your business have a group of people on the same broadband connection? Slow broadband can be infuriating at the best of times, let alone when more than one person is trying to access it. By upgrading to superfast you give yourself more bandwidth, meaning everyone gets a strong speed to work with.

Conference calls:

Upgraded your connection can open your business up the world of video conferencing. Being able to chat to someone face-to-face who is on the other side of the country, continent, or even world (!), makes communicating with customers and stakeholders that little bit easier.

Cloud storage:

Everyone knows how irritating it can be to run out of memory on a hard-drive. Cloud storage lets you keep store your data online and access it remotely. Not only will this free up your device’s storage, but it also makes it easier for you and your team to access your files wherever you are! In the office, you can create a shared drive that you and your colleagues can upload and download from any time you like, making the sharing of documents a walk in the park.

Wi-Fi:

Do you run a leisure business or a store? Superfast broadband means you’ll be able to provide visitors with a free wi-fi connection! In this day and age, more and more stores are giving their customers the opportunity to browse while they shop.

Improve your online presence:

Whether you’re consumer facing or not, building a presence online can help boost awareness of your business and lead to improved growth rates. A website, social media and YouTube channel can all be massively beneficial for an enterprise of any size, and a faster, more reliable internet connection means you can do these things better!

So whats the wait? Check now with your supplier to see if you can upgrade to superfast speeds. If you can’t, drop us an e-mail and lets talk about your options! Here at Digital Durham, we’re always excited to help get people connected.

So, What Is Satellite Broadband?

What is Satellite Broadband?

Satellite broadband does what it says on the tin. Instead of other methods of connecting broadband, like fibre, satellite broadband connects via a satellite that is in geostationary orbits. Pretty cool, right? An ISP will transmit the broadband from their satellite dish, to this satellite, which then sends it back down to a satellite dish connected to a property.

How can this benefit me?

This method isn’t as widely used and championed as its other counterparts, but it can be a desirable respite from slow internet speeds in areas that have no other suitable alternatives. Rural areas, forests and islands all benefit from this technology, which operates through a satellite dish with a clear line to the south sky. Chances are, if you’ve connected to Wi-Fi on a plane or boat, you’ve probably experienced satellite broadband! Although, as a young technology, speeds aren’t as fast as fibre yet, speeds comparable to ADSL broadband are easily achievable and comes with the added bonus of being landline-free, meaning you don’t need a home phone to operate it!

Okay, but what are the flaws?

All of this is not to say that this service isn’t without its issues. One of the main issues faced with satellite broadband users is that of latency. Latency is the delay before a transfer of data begins following an instruction for its transfer. As satellite has to travel huge distances between requests, latency can be high for users, rendering applications like online first-person shooters to be frustrating and sometimes inoperable. These connection woes can be exacerbated through other issues, namely weather and interference. As mentioned previously, satellite requires a clear line between a dish and the satellite in space, which can be interfered with by weather conditions, such as rainstorms as well as other wireless signals. Although possibly not enough to knock the broadband out completely, it can prove to be frustrating for users.

Satellite broadband can also prove to be quite expensive. Installation costs can surprise people looking in to the service and monthly packages tend to be more expensive than other broadband options, with unlimited satellite broadband packages being unheard of. Customers are usually presented with a range of options that have increasing monthly data usage caps.

All of that sounds great, but I’m worried about the cost!

Completely understandable. The good news is that there are provisions in place to h elp those who can’t secure a fast enough broadband speed through standard broadband or fibre. We here at Digital Durham work alongside with Broadband Delivery UK (or BDUK for short) to help those who need a satellite connection. BDUK are part of the Department for Culture, Media & Sport and provide customers with a £350 voucher code to help them cover the hardware installation costs. To read more about the Better Broadband Subsidy Scheme and to apply, head on over here! Once you’ve applied, there’s a few checks we need to do to make sure you’re suitable for the scheme before we process it, so please, hold tight with us whilst we work our way through it!

(How happy you’ll be once you’re connected ?)

Got some more questions about satellite broadband that we didn’t cover here? Below are some great resources to broaden your knowledge.

Which – What Is Satellite Broadband?

Tooway – How Internet via Satellite Works

Broadband Choices – Satellite Broadband, Whats It All About?

Tech Radar – What You Need To Know About Satellite Broadband

Ground Control – How Does Satelitte Internet Work?

And a cheeky plug for our own site ?

Phase two moves into gear

The first phase of the multi million pound Digital Durham partnership has been completed successfully with more than 107,000 households and businesses now able to access faster fibre-based broadband as a direct result of the programme.

Work is already well underway on the second phase of the rollout which started in July 2016. The additional £9 million investment will bring superfast speeds within reach of a further 29,000 homes and businesses across the Digital Durham programme area by December 2018. Digital Durham is delivered in partnership by Durham County Council and BT.

Across the programme area, people living and working in locations such as Middleton-in-Teesdale, Low Fell, Stanley, North Shields, South Shields, Wideopen, Lanchester, Benton, Stillington, Wellfield and Boldon will soon be enjoying the benefits of faster broadband.

Cllr Jane Brown, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for corporate services, said: “The completion of phase one, providing faster broadband to more than 107,000 homes and businesses is a major milestone in our partnership with BT.

“It’s a real source of pride that so many people can now use this technology for work, study and pleasure.

“But we’re not resting on our laurels. This further investment through phase two will ensure faster broadband is available to even more people and we’ll consider whether we can further improve coverage beyond this.”

The second phase of the roll-out will see engineers from Openreach, BT’s local network business, reaching some of the more challenging and rural locations in County Durham, Gateshead and the Tees Valley and, for the first time, the programme will move into South and North Tyneside.

Check if you can upgrade to fibre-based broadband on the Openreach site.