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 virtually essential nowadays for use in business and household settings, and as far as most people are concerned it beats dial-up hands down. Whilst we are all becoming more savvy and getting to grips with the lingo, broadband can still be a bit of a nightmare to navigate through for the first time buyer, or even the experienced user who can still find things a bit confusing. Here we’ve compiled a brief glossary of the terms you can expect to encounter in your journey into the world of broadband.

ADSL – (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) A form of broadband connection that operates through a traditional phoneline without jeopardising the quality or usability of the phoneline for telephone calls. This means you can share a line and surf the net whilst talking to friends.

Bandwidth – The rate at which information can be shared across a network – more bandwidth equates to the ability to share more information at the same time. Generally, you will pay for a set amount of bandwidth although some providers offer so-called ‘unlimited’ packages

Dynamic IP Address – A different unique address assigned to a computer every time it logs on to the Internet, that enables your particular computer to be identified at any given time.

Firewall – a software application that stops hackers and foreign bodies from accessing files on your computer and providers all round protection to your network.

Hotspot – an area in which wireless broadband can be accessed for free, or on a paid basis. These are often found in hotels or cafes.

ISP – (Internet Service Provider) The company that provides your broadband service and to whom you pay your monthly bill.

Kbps – (Kilobits per second) A way to measure bandwidth, in thousands of bits per second.

LAN – (Local Area Network) A network of nearby computers sharing one singular internet connection.

Mbps – (Megabits per second) A way to measure bandwidth in millions of bits per second – like Kbps, but larger.

Router – Allows multiple computers to be hooked up to one another to share information, as well as an Internet connection. Can be wireless also, and many broadband providers will include a router free of charge when you sign up for certain contract terms.

VOIP – (Voice Over Internet Protocol) A technology that allows telephone communications to take place over a digital phone line for enhanced quality and at a lower cost than traditional phone services.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the technical jargon you’re likely to encounter. Unfortunately for you, this is only the beginning. However, provided you do your homework and research the market a bit, you should get a feeling for which type of service provides you with the best level of service at the best price, without getting too confused as to the intricacies of broadband technology.