Page 34 - binfo104

ADSL Annex M business broadband is designed for companies that require a higher upstream bandwidth than ADSL 2+. ADSL Annex M changes the profle of the circuit, reducing the downstream slightly in order to provide up to double the upstream. It will provide the best possible speed a phone line supports up to a maximum of 16Mb downstream and 2.5Mb upstream. Spitfre also offers a Premium version of Annex M, which guarantees low packet-loss, jitter and latency on 1Mb of bandwidth, making these circuits particularly suitable for applications requiring high quality bandwidth, such as voice.

The widening gap between actual and advertised broadband speeds (see panel) underlines the importance of choosing the right internet service provider and broadband package. Here, with help from business ISP Spitfre, we look at alternatives to bog standard ADSL for organisations that rely on a high quality broadband connection for video conferencing, VoIP, back-up, disaster recovery and other mission critical applications.

The gap between real-life and advertised broadband speeds widened in 2010, according to more than 100,000 speed tests conducted on the Broadband Expert comparison site. These show that in 2010 consumers received only 44% of the speed advertised by Internet Service Providers (ISPs), down from 46% in 2009. The worst offender among the 12 ISPs tested was Sky, which according to Broadband Expert’s fgures, managed to provide only 35% of its promised broadband speed. The best performer was Virgin Media, which, with an average download speed of 9.17 (Mbps), delivered 54.45% of the expected speed.

Could your wireless network be the real reason for unsatisfactory broadband performance? New research by Epitiro suggests that computer users lose an average of 30% of download speed and face an increase in latency of 10-20% when using Wi-Fi connections in the home whereWi-Fi speed is adversely affected by barriers, such as walls, doors and furniture, and by interference from devices in the same frequency range including baby monitors, TV remote controls, microwave ovens and cordless phones. In addition, manyWi-Fi routers share the same default communication channel, which can cause interference in urban areas and lead to dropped connections or slow service. www.epitiro.com

Spitfre DualStream SDSL provides customers with a resilient DSL broadband connection for applications where a constant broadband connection is essential. It consists of a primary SDSL connection with an ADSL back-up offering a different path to the Internet. Both have the same IP addresses so that in the event of the primary circuit’s failure, the back-up ADSL circuit can connect to the same IP range.

Available where BT has enabled Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC), VDSL2 (Very high-speed Digital Subscriber Line) uses fbre from the local exchange to the BT cabinet in the street to provide bandwidths of up to 40Mb downstream, fve times faster than conventional ADSL.

Spitfre offers two VDSL2 services with unlimited monthly usage: VDSL2 Premium Unlimited, offering up to 40Mb downstream and up to 10Mb upstream; and VDSL2 Standard Unlimited, providing up to 40Mb downstream and up to 2Mb upstream.

access over either fbre or copper. Ethernet is much cheaper than conventional dedicated leased line circuits, and is more robust and reliable than a VPN (Virtual Private Network) utilising the public Internet.

Ethernet over Fibre is the gold standard of high quality Internet connectivity and is a service that any business which relies on its Internet connection should consider. Spitfre offers fexible bandwidths with 2Mb, 10Mb, 100Mb and 1Gb bearer circuit options.

Fibre Ethernet for direct Internet access is ideal for businesses that have mission critical applications requiring high bandwidth, such as the fnancial sector, advertising agencies, the print and graphics industry and professional service providers. Every direct Internet circuit includes a guaranteed service level agreement. Fibre Ethernet for site-to-site applications provides an uncontended, dedicated link between two sites (e.g. branch offces) where high volumes of data and guaranteed service provision are necessary. Site-to-site circuits also include a guaranteed service level agreement. For business continuity and disaster recovery, Ethernet installed over fbre can be provided in three resilience formats. Alternatively, Spitfre can offer cost effective backup SDSL and ADSL circuits. Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) delivers Ethernet over standard copper pairs from the local cabinet to the customer’s premises. This offers signifcantly lower costs for circuits between 2Mb and 10Mb, bringing Ethernet services within reach of smaller businesses looking for an improvement over ADSL/SDSL resilience and performance.

For more information on Spitfre’s products and services, please visit

Page 34 - binfo104_flip

Page 34 - binfo104_flip