Broadband Jargon Buster

3G, 4G and 5G stands for stands for '3rd/4th/5th generation' mobile network and refers to how mobile internet is delivered to our mobile phones and tablets.

ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. Often referred to a 'standard broadband' ADSL uses the same copper phone lines that connect your home phone line. Speeds average around 10-11Mb but can be faster if you live closer to your local exchange. It is usually cheaper and more readily available than fibre broadband, but can be less reliable.

Bandwidth refers to the capacity of a connection, or the amount of data your internet connection can transmit in a set period of time. If we say something uses a lot of bandwidth, it simply means a significant amount of your broadband's data transfer capacity is being consumed by that activity, which can mean other activities may be slower. It is usually expressed in terms of bits per second (bps).

Bluetooth is a wireless technology used for transferring data over short distances. Most commonly used to connect devices such a speakers, wireless keyboards or headphones to smartphones.

Broadband is a type of high speed internet connection which can be delivered in a number of ways, surpassing dial-up as the standard way to connect to the internet. We've done a full guide on the question 'what is broadband?'.

Often confused, bytes and bits are not the same thing.

Bytes are used to measure digital information or data, such as file size and can be in kilobytes, megabytes or gigabytes . Officially, 1000 kilobytes equals 1 megabyte, and 1000 megabytes equals 1 gigabyte. As examples, a basic Word document would likely be measured in kilobytes, a music file in megabytes and a Blu-ray quality film in gigabytes.

Bits are used to measure data transfer speeds in the form of bits per second, with bigger numbers reflecting faster speeds. Broadband speeds are measured in kilobits per second (Kbps), megabits per second (Mbps) or gigabits per second (Gbps).

• Kilobits per second (Kb/Kbps) was previously used to measure dial-up internet speeds so isn't as widely used today
• Megabits per second (Mb/Mbps) is the most common broadband speed measurement you will see advertised
• Gigabits per second (Gb/Gbps) only a lucky few live in areas that get speeds this fast

Cable broadband is broadband in which the wiring between your local exchange and your home is an upgraded network of coaxial cables, rather than copper or fibre optic line. In the UK the largest cable broadband provider is Virgin Media, though they now describe their service as fibre optic instead of cable. This is because they use fibre connections to street cabinets (FTTC).

Also known as narrowband, dial-up was how we used to get online in the time before broadband, many will still remember the glorious sound it made. It was internet access via a modem that literally dialed up the provider over a phone line, a noisy process taking around 30 seconds. You couldn't use the internet and the phone at the same time and your phone line would be engaged if someone tried calling while you were online. It was frustratingly slow by modern standards taking up to five minutes to download just one megabyte of data.

Download or downloading refers to the transfer of data from the internet to a device. For example from a webpage to a laptop.

Download speed is the speed at which data is transferred to you, such as loading websites or downloading music and apps. Most often measured in megabits per second, download speed has a big impact on how you use your internet. Basic tasks such as browsing the web and sending emails can be done with a relatively slow download speed, but streaming Netflix will require a faster connection.

Even packages that are unlimited may still have a fair use policy. This is a limit placed on broadband usage by the ISP, with rules that say how much data you can download before the provider penalises you. It means that the amount of downloading you do needs to remain in line with a provider’s own acceptable levels for one household. In practice, this is imposed just to prevent misuse and is usually higher than any normal user is ever likely to reach. Sometimes referred to as acceptable use policy.

Fibre optic, or just 'fibre' is broadband delivered over cables that are, at least for part of the network, fibre optic. With fibre optic signals are transmitted as light through glass or plastic cables. This makes it far faster and less prone to interference than ADSL. A fibre connection can be either Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) or Fibre to the Premises (FTTP).

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FTTC stands for Fibre to the cabinet. This is when fibre optic cables are used as far as the cabinet on the street, then copper or coaxial cables from the cabinet to your house. Data travels more slowly over the last stretch of copper or coaxial cable. This is the most common type of fibre broadband in use in the UK.

FTTP is Fibre to the Premises, or sometimes referred to as fibre to the home (FTTH) or full fibre. This uses fibre optic cables for 100% of the network, all the way to your house, giving the fastest broadband speeds currently available. The downside is it is not widely available.

Gfast builds on FTTC connections. Openreach bolt a special pod to the street cabinet which supercharges the speed through the copper telephone wires to your property. This gives you ultrafast speeds and a more consistent and reliable connection.

Broadband offering speeds of 1Gb (1000Mb) or more. Very few homes in the UK will be able to get gigabit broadband right now, though both Openreach and Virgin Media are working to expand coverage.

ISP stands for Internet Service Provider. This is the company that is supplying you with your broadband service such as BT, Virgin Media and Sky.

Migration Authorisation Code was the code you used to have to request from your broadband provider when switching. However, Ofcom updated its rules and it is no longer necessary to obtain a MAC when switching - your new provider will completely take care of the switch for you.

Sometimes called a hub, a router is that plastic box with flashing lights that comes with most UK broadband packages. Necessary for allowing all your devices to connect to the internet via WiFi, the router is connected to the broadband and gives out a WiFi signal through an antenna which is then picked up by your devices.

Streaming is watching TV, movies, and video clips, or listening to music, radio, and podcasts, over the internet as opposed to downloading. Popular streaming services include Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, NOW TV, Spotify and Apple Music. The benefit of streaming is you don't have to downloaded the whole file before you can access it, and as files aren't stored on your computer they won't take up storage space. You do need to be careful though as streaming will use up your data allowance really quick.

Superfast broadband is generally used for speeds in excess of 24Mb (though Ofcom defines it as a connection with a download speed of 30Mb).

Most providers offer significantly higher download speeds than upload speeds. This is known as asymmetrical broadband. Symmetrical broadband provides the same speed for uploads and downloads.

Tethering is turning your phone into a personal hotspot so that you can use your mobile data allowance to get online with other devices like a laptop or tablet. This can really chew through your data though so make sure to keep your eye on your allowance.

Traffic is the amount of users and information using a network at any given time. If lots of people use the internet at the same time, the network can get congested and speeds can drop.

Too much traffic can really slow your connection down. Traffic management is your ISP's way of controlling this traffic to keep the connection stable. It will prioritise activities that have a higher bandwidth such as streaming over non-urgent tasks such as software updates. The majority of providers now say they don’t use it at all, but it is still in place on some services.

Ultrafast broadband refers to a connection with a download speed of 100Mb or more, although Ofcom defines it as a connection speed of 300Mb and upwards.

Unlimited broadband is broadband without limits on how much data you can download (assuming they are inline with the providers fair usage policy). Most broadband packages except satellite or 4G/5G broadband packages in the UK are now unlimited, though sometimes they may still utilise traffic management.

Uploading is the transfer of data from your computer or device to the internet. For example, posting a photo on social media, publishing a video on YouTube, or sending a file via email.

Upload speed is the speed at which data is transferred from your device to the internet, for example how long it takes to post a picture to social media. Upload speeds can be significantly slower than download speeds. This is because most of us do a lot more downloading than uploading, so this is given priority by providers.

Wifi is the name given to the wireless network created by your router and is the most common way of connecting your devices to the broadband in your home as well as hotspots in cafes, hotels and public places.