One of the most common promotional offers you see banded around for broadband services is the so-called ‘unlimited’ broadband. For a certain fixed price on a monthly basis, these service proclaim the consumer’s dream – unmetered, unlimited bandwidth for a low fixed cost. When confronted with this kind of offer over a restricted package for the same price, which would you rather choose?

Actually this is something of a sting. Unlimited broadband is actually a metaphor for ‘limited broadband’ – quite the opposite. In fact, there’s very little difference between an unlimited broadband package and a limited package, which those who take advantage of the unlimited promise often find out to their detriment. False advertising? Probably. Can they do that? Well it seems as thought they’re getting away with it.

The legal justification is that indeed, broadband usage in unlimited. But that isn’t a no-strings offer. Broadband providers are required to pay variable amounts depending on your usage. For example, if one month you use twice what you used in the month previous, the provider will be required to pay a higher variable cost. Likely, if you go beyond your allowance on a standard, limited package, this bill will be passed on to you directly on your next account statement. Obviously then, offering unlimited usage is risky – after all if you’re charging a fixed price and someone uses over the paid-for allowance, it’s possible that the provider could end up footing the bill out of their own coffers, right?

That’s where the secret weapon comes in – ‘fair usage’. In the contract for unlimited broadband, there will (almost) always be a fair usage policy – i.e. your broadband usage is unlimited subject to fair use. In other words, abusing the broadband space by downloading tons of movies might put you outside the definition of ‘unlimited’. Sounds unfair? We’re not even started.

‘Fair usage’ is seldom defined within the contract itself – in other words, it’s left to interpretation. One man’s idea of what a fair use of a service may be is completely different from another. In fact, the customers idea of fair use (of an unlimited service) won’t meet with the preconception of the provider. And when all’s said and done, it’s the provider that holds the power – if you don’t like it and don’t pay up, you’ll lose your connectivity. Ultimately this means it’s down to the interpretation of particular broadband provider you’re with and the amount you’ve used your unlimited broadband over the course of that month.

Whilst it has as of yet met little legal or regulatory challenge, it would seem as though any logical advertising standards authority would be quick to shut down this clearly underhanded practice that doesn’t seem to deliver on its promises. For now though, it’s up to you to find the best unlimited provider for you – which may well be one that doesn’t argue.

Broadband is almost vital if you’re running a business. Regardless of the size and nature of your trade you’re going to require access to the internet – whether that be for engaging in business over the web or simply sending the occasional email now and again. With dial-up virtually obsolete, you’re going to need to find yourself broadband connectivity sooner or later, and knowing what to choose in this crowded and confusing market can be a difficult challenge to say the least.

What You Will Need
The broadband needs of a business will differ greatly from the broadband needs of your average home user. Whilst the kids might be watching movies or downloading music, business needs to be able to access the internet and fast in order to retrieve information, send and receive large, complicated documents and have reliable general access to the world wide web. Of course, depending on your specific business requirements your needs will again differ – a large scale law firm will require more in the way of service than a small, home based painter and decorator.

For those reasons it’s hard to classify in terms of specifications what you will need. Your best option is to speak to a customer advisor at your chosen Internet Service Provider in order to discuss your needs, including the number of staff that need simultaneous access, the amount of space you’ll require, etc. and to work out the extent of your monthly costs.

Some Things To Consider:

Wireless broadband is very much the ‘now’ technology, with virtually all new laptop computers coming with in-built wireless receivers. Wireless broadband allows the user to access the Internet remotely over a radio connection from a mobile location, without having to be physically stationery or actually hooked up to the network. What’s more, it’s also handy if you have multiple computers within your household looking to hook up to the Internet from a number of different rooms, in that they don’t all have to be connected to a central port which can save on cabling and is just altogether more convenient.

Even printers and scanners can be hooked up wirelessly, meaning you can print from anywhere in your home or office without being physically attached. Whilst there is a natural cost advantage in that you’ll require less hardware, there is also a tremendous and often underestimated risk to your private information when using wireless connections.

The Problem With Wireless
The problem with wireless connectivity is that it is extremely insecure. Compared to a standard wired internet connection, there is very little in the way of security to prevent hackers and malicious attacks on your information, which can produce alarming results. Consider your bog standard wired internet connection. Your computer is linked up to the modem, which is linked to the world wide web. There is a physical link which cannot as readily be intercepted by a foreign invader – without hooking his computer into the chain, a hacker would have a more difficult job trying to get at your files and the websites you are viewing.

However with a wireless connection the physical secure element is removed. All wireless devices are capable of tuning in to one another on the same channel like a radio is able to access an array of different stations – the only thing standing between is the password. Of course this is an oversimplification of the process, but it does help appreciate the problem with wireless connectivity.

Consider now the personal information you would tend to view over a wireless connection, or even store on your computer. Those with online banking services should be starting to wonder by now whether their service has been accessed by a would be hacker. In fact it’s quite common for criminals to access bank details, passwords and vital personal information, to the extent that it is possible for identity theft and fraud to take place on a massive scale.

Whilst there are massive efforts at banks and ISPs to improve the situation, it is up to the individual to ensure as far as possible that their connection is safe through encrypted passwords, firewalls and other security measures. Above all, if you’re not fully confident in your connection, it’s probably best to avoid accessing bank details especially until your in a more secure environment.

Finding cheap broadband is usually one of the foremost, if not the most, important factors consumers take into account when searching for a broadband provider. With the overcrowded broadband market fighting tooth and nail to grab each and every customer, price is fiercely contested and it is possible to find services to meet even the most modest budget requirements. However not all broadband providers are created equal, and it’s important that you understand the service aspects as well as the pricing policy of any particular service provider. Here we’ve compiled a quick checklist of important factors to make sure your cheap broadband service actually turns out to be worth the saving.