How fast is broadband, really?

News extract:
Jupiter Research says faster speeds will help drive user-generated content such as YouTube and photo site Flickr.
But while uptake has helped the UK to the broadband fast track, lack of speed compared to other countries could still see it derailed.
Experts warn the UK is falling behind its European counterparts when it comes to speed.
"The speeds that are available in the UK are lagging a long, long way behind other European counties," he said.
In the UK the fastest speed currently on offer is 24Mbps (megabits per second) although typically the fastest people will get is about 8Mbps. French surfers are enjoying around 24Mbps as standard.
BT does not plan to roll out its next-generation broadband until the middle of 2007.
Last year saw a flurry of announcements about faster and faster net connections courtesy of next-generation broadband - ADSL2 - which promised speeds of up to 24Mbps for everyone.



Comparison with another cable ISP:
Dive into a more enriching Internet experience
MaxOnline makes the Internet more enjoyable in a few ways. For a start, it's unlimited so you can surf as long as you want at one flat fee.

You'll enjoy the highest residential download speed of up to 30Mbps (30,000Kbps)*. This lets you do more online at the same time, and share with the family without slowdowns.

MaxOnline also makes it easier for the family to share, because there are no log-ins, passwords or complicated set-ups. You're ready to surf virtually instantly!

With this high-speed, easy broadband network, you and your family can look forward to smooth, speedy access to everything on the Internet. So go on, take the plunge with MaxOnline!
*Achievable data transfer bandwidth of up to 30Mbps (30,000Kbps), dependent on the service you have signed up for. Actual speed depends on Internet traffic at that time.

 

I'd love 24 or 30mb service @ the price I'm paying currently, but I don't see it happening in the near future. I have broadband (while not the fastest connection available in my area [which is available @ the same price]), the fact that my ISP doesn't complain about my usuage, like many others ISPs do; keeps with with them -- until then I don't plan on leaving my service. Should a radical jump in service become availalble elsewhere I'd have to reconsider.