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ADSL2+ Broadband
ADSL2+ Broadband is essentially advanced ADSL Broadband, delivered in the same way - via a phoneline - but coming with a number of technological enhancements which generally allow for much faster download speeds and less restrictive download limits. Whereas the top theoretical download speed available on your standard ADSL connection is usually advertised at 8Mbps, ADSL2+ by contrast more than doubles this, giving you top download speeds of 24Mbps instead. Once only available in selected areas from a handful of companies, ADSL2+ services are now available from a number of ISPs across the country. Whilst ADSL2+ products and services are nowhere near as abundant as the standard ADSL, availability of ADSL2+ is increasing all the time.
| Provider | Package | Speed | Cap/Limit | Contract Length | Monthly Cost | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Be Broadband | Value Broadband | 8 | 40 | Free | £17 | |||||
| Be Broadband | Pro Broadband | 24 | Unlimited | Free | £27 | |||||
| Be Broadband | Unlimited Broadband | 24 | Unlimited | Free | £22 |
ADSL2+ Broadband
ADSL2+ Broadband is virtually identical to ADSL in terms of its pros and cons - it is generally more readily available than cable and fibre optic broadband, but like ADSL, the quality of the connection and top available speed will degrade the further you are from the nearest exchange.
The top theoretical speeds available on ADSL2+ connections is generally advertised as being up to 24Mbps, but a number of ADSL2+ providers will also advertise and sell broadband products with speeds lower than this, for customers who won't necessarily need such speeds, or live so far away from an exchange that to expect to be able to get a 24Mbps download speed would be unrealistic.
Because of this, some providers of ADSL service have been upgrading their standard ADSL lines, but not publicly announcing them as such - this is because the speed will generally be closer to the expected top 8Mbps speed available on ADSL even though the connection is technically an ADSL2+ one. This means that ADSL2+ providers who know that their customers cannot realistically expect to get speeds in excess of 8Mbps will be able to sell them a service that's better value for money.
It is expected that ADSL2+ connections will eventually become the standard connection used by UK residents as upgrades roll out to exchanges across the country. BT have been working on their 21st Century Network (21CN) since 2006 - this is a large scale nationwide upgrade to its current network of connections which is due to be complete by 2010. By that time, it is expected that the majority of the UK will be able to receive ADSL2+ connections, although the recent Digital Britain report issued by the Government could see these plans changing.
Recent experiments with a process known as 'Double Bonding' or 'Port Bonding' effectively allows for ADSL2+ providers to double the maximum speeds available over a single connection, bringing the top 24Mbps download speed to 48Mbps, with the average speed available on such as connection averaging out at between 30 and 45Mbps.
