The world of internet packages can be a confusing place. What is capped internet? What is uncapped? We unpack these tech terms for you.
The world of internet connectivity is a murky place for the uninitiated. Terms like data packages, line speeds, Wi-Fi, Broadband and Fibre can be daunting if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for. Once you’ve settled on a service provider that you’re happy with, you need to decide whether to get an uncapped or capped ADSL connection.
Uncapped
Uncapped ADSL comes in two forms, namely consumer uncapped ADSL and business uncapped ADSL. In this article, we’ll be focusing on consumer ADSL.
A consumer uncapped ADSL package means that once your data bundle has been used up for the month you can continue to use the Internet but you will be charged for each megabyte over your allocated bandwidth that you use.
In this instance, the speed of your ADSL does not impact the cost of the account as the more you use the more you pay.
The second type of uncapped ADSL is an uncapped ADSL package at a fixed monthly price. The catch here, though, is that your line speed is limited to a maximum amount depending on which contract you buy.
The higher your line speed – 2GB vs 10GB – the higher the monthly cost. The monthly fixed cost of uncapped ADSLhas dropped in recent years and withthe push towards fibre, the cost of traditional uncapped ADSL is expected to drop further in coming years.
Although the first option is referred to as a consumer offering it can be used by businesses to help reduce costs.
Since it is uncapped, businesses can continue to use the Internet since the cost of being without ADSL access outweighs the cost per megabyte that you pay. In the long term, this can be cheaper than using an uncapped business ADSL solution, if you manage the monthly usage appropriately and make adjustments when necessary.
Capped ADSL
Capped ADSL means that once your monthly bandwidth allocation is used up, you will no longer be able to access the internet.
This type of ADSL solution is ideal if you have a fixed monthly budget and want to make sure you don’t get an ADSL bill that varies each month. If you’re a parent of a tech-savvy child who needs internet access on a daily basis, or you yourself do not require internet access 24/7, then this would be a great option.
Source: CompareGuru
