 | How can broadband benefit my business?
A broadband connection allows you constant connectivity. Because it’s ‘always on', business information will come straight to your pc, thus saving time and providing faster downloads.
You can save money by using broadband to undertake online procurement, online auctions and B2B exchanges, and online ordering.
Find new customers, using a fast efficient broadband service which allows employees to respond more promptly to customer needs.
Businesses using Broadband will be able to offer their suppliers and partners more flexible ways of working.
Broadband will enable your company to work real time groups with web based video conferencing, and use new ways to sell your services such as eMarketing.
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| Do I need to use the PSTN?
Yes and No. You can benefit from PSTN by pass if you are making calls to locations that are on your VoIP network or connect to other VoIP networks through an intermediary gateway. However, a large percentage of phone users will not be on VoIP. When placing calls to individuals or businesses that are not on a VoIP network, your calls must be routed through the PSTN. Your VoIP carrier will seamlessly and transparently coordinate this.
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| What is an IP based PBX?
An IP (Internet Protocol) PBX (Public Branch Exchange) is a phone system. IP based PBX's ensure you maximize the cost savings and productivity enhancements from VoIP. They replace your traditional phone systems and include all the same components - voicemail, auto attendants, menus, call handling, call routing, etc. as well as many additional features. Using IP based PBX switches between geographically dispersed offices will allow you to participate in toll by pass, ensuring calls between the offices are free.
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| What is a hosted (or outsourced) IP based PBX?
A hosted IP based PBX minimizes the equipment required at your premises. Ed at your location are the phones. The voicemail server and the phone switch will reside in your provider's data center. Theoretically, you will only need to pick up the phone and make a call. The call will be routed over your internet connection.
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| Is an outsourced solution right for my business?
That depends. Using your Internet connection as your telephone circuit has it's pluses and minuses. The typical business has on average an internet connection of, for purposes of this discussion, 1 mb/s. (Most have 768 kb/s or 1.544 mbs/). If the average VoIP call requires 64 kb/s, then a 1mb/s Internet connection can support 16 simultaneous calls and nothing else. If half your 1mb/s connection was used for web surfing, email and download, and the other half for phone calls, then your connection can only support 8 phone calls.
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| If I am using my Internet connection for VoIP and for Web, email, downloads, etc. will my calls be competing for bandwidth?
Not if you are using QoS. Qos (Quality of Service) wich is enabled in your routers. Qos will mandate the IP traffic used for VoIP has a higher priority than anything else. This way, if you have limited bandwidth, and a request to download a web page is made at the same time a call is made, the call will have a higher priority.
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| Will not the latency experienced with satellite make it unsuitable for Internet video calls?
Some latency issues have been reported in connection with some satellite services, caused by the time it takes for the signal to travel to and from the orbiting satellite. This means that time-sensitive applications such as online gaming and voice and video calls can be disrupted. However, typically satellite broadband solutions are well suited to Internet surfing and email. Current advice is that if you are considering any service (satellite or otherwise) ensure that it is suitable for your particular uses
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 | Why do I need broadband at home?
Broadband’s high speed can save you time by giving you fast access to internet banking or by allowing you to pay bills online. Shopping online will not only give you access to a wider variety of products than may be available in your local store, but will save you the time and inconvenience of having to travel to large department stores. ‘Life long learning’ is enhanced with a broadband connection giving easy access to online courses over the internet. This of course is an immense benefit to the elderly or disabled who may be less mobile or may not have access to transport.
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| Isn’t broadband just for businesses?
Everyone can enjoy the benefits of broadband, even if they are not involved in business in any way. People living in regional areas can particularly benefit by using internet-based services that may not be available nearby. The internet is a great way to keep in touch, enabling you to exchange photographs and videos as well as the written word all around the world for no extra cost.
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| Will people need to replace their computers to run Broadband?
Most computers purchased within the last 3-4 years will be capable of supporting Broadband, and many these days come with an ADSL modem built in. You should seek advice from a computer retailer or internet service provider to be certain.
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| How are businesses using Broadband?
Broadband has been one of the major impacts upon business since windows was introduced. It enables remote offices to easily link into corporate networks using VPN links. It enables offices to transfer huge files across broadband links in a matter of minutes rather than days. The average office worker is seeing this speed transformation as a positive IT step.
„« Working from home using our own home PC, by logging on to a company network through a secure connection.
„« IP VPN (Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network) - for remotely connecting your staff/suppliers/customers to your own company¡¦s network.
„« VoIP
„« e-mail, diary appointments, accounts, documents and presentations, secure online payments, travel booking, hotel booking
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| If we have a wireless supply will there be a large mast?
Not necessarily. Wireless broadband masts are typically much smaller and less obtrusive than, for example, mobile telephone base stations due to the higher frequency of operation and typically lower power of transmission. Typically the number and size of any masts that need to be deployed will depend upon the local line of sight characteristics and the range of coverage required. Most wireless broadband connections in the home can be achieved using antennas that are typically no larger than a conventional TV aerial.
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 | BT say I have fibre in my line?
Broadband only works over copper wires. If your phone line is delivered over fibre-optic cables (some properties built in the 70's, had cable as the connection section), or if any part of the connection between you and your local exchange is fibre-optic, you won't be able to use it as your ADSL connection. If you are in this position you should ask BT to install a new analogue phone line for you.
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| What do you mean by broadband entertainment?
Broadband provides varied entertainment opportunities for watching live concerts online, with many sites broadcasting regular web casts and interviews with celebrities. Many bands now have their own websites where you can download their music or watch video clips of their performances. On-line gaming is becoming more popular and you can even listen to the radio or watch movies, all of which would not be possible without the high speed and bandwidth offered by broadband.
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| What happens if I move house?
ADSL is not transferable. If you move house before the end of the contract, you will be charged for the service up to the end of the minimum period. If you wish to reapply for ADSL in the new location, this is subject to availability at the new address and you will need to resubmit a new order and enter a new minimum period contract.
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 | What are the benefits to schools of having a broadband connection?
In general it is the key to driving economic growth, of which broadband is the most significant current development in a move towards a knowledge economy, by:
„« Enhancing the learning experience
„« Improving cooperation between educational institutions
„« New opportunities ¡V real-time satellite images into the classroom
„« Improves the efficiency of delivery methods
„« Widens access to education with significant impact on life-long learning
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| What advantages does a cable modem connection bring to education that a standard, dial-up Internet link can't?
A cable modem connection lets students access more online content at a faster speed, as well as inject audio, video and interactive elements into the learning experience. For example, instead of merely reading a speech by President Kennedy, a history major using a broadband link could call up the audio and video clip of that speech.
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| Why should I go from a 2Mbps line to a 10Mbps, 34Mbps or 100Mbps link?
2Mbps is very much like “dipping a toe” into broadband. A higher speed link opens the opportunity for increased numbers of computers to work on the Internet simultaneously, higher quality or more videoconferencing or perhaps using the computer network for transmitting voice calls.
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 | Reasons why ADSL may not be available to you
Some users may not be able to access ADSL services because their local telephone exchange has not yet been enabled to provide this service.
Although you have an ADSL enabled exchange, your phone quality may be too low to enable ADSL to run effectively. This is either due to the length of your cable from the exchange or it may be that there is interference from surrounding cables that lay with your cable underground, Redcare burgler alarm system or DACS. Sometimes your cable will be part fibre-optic and ADSL cannot run on a fibre-optic cable.
The line quality of your BT cable that runs from your house to the exchange is paramount. A line test is carried out and a reading is taken in decibels. The first test must read under 55 decibels. Once this test has been passed a test must be carried out directly from your property. The reading here must be under 60 decibels. This second test is carried out once you have connected your equipment - an engineer at the exchange will send signals down the line to take a reading.
These are just some of the reasons ADSL may not be able to run on your phone line. All these reasons will give high decibel readings that inhibit the ADSL service from working at the optimum level.
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| Will broadband put vulnerable members of society at greater risk from internet crime?
Internet security should always be taken seriously, and with always on access it is recommended that a "Firewall" is in place (software that screens your computer's sensitive information from external view). There are some free products on the market though these cannot be guaranteed, but most security products are available for under £40 and provide virus protection, firewalls and also protect the privacy of your machine. Increasingly this software can be provided through your internet service provider, and any computer supplier will be able to give advice on the correct level of security.
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| Does Broadband offer value for money in business?
Broadband is now so cost effective and has so many applications that the business case is easy to make. With a broadband economy we can expect higher connectivity - small businesses with higher bandwidth are nearly twice as likely to trade online. Broadband makes possible new services not feasible over narrowband e.g. video streaming, application service provision.
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| What are the benefits of working from home?
Many employers have embraced the ‘work form home’ government initiative, and the advent of broadband means that it is much easier to link into systems, check email, arrange a date in the diary and pick up news from the company intranet, etc. Broadband essentially cuts down on commuting time, therefore slowing the rate of pollution, and companies effectively get a longer working day out of their employees, so everyone's happy.
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| What is VoIP?
(Voice over IP) This simply means using an Internet connection to pass voice data using IP instead of using the standard public switched telephone network. This can avoid long distance telephone charges, as the only connection is through the Internet.
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| What are the advantages of VoIP as a communication channel?
Any calls you make to other users or sites on the same VoIP network are free, e.g. by-passing local or long distance call charges. This is ideal for
companies that have offices allover the country. A VoIP network can be created using an Internet based Virtual Private Network (VPN) to connect the offices. Then, all calls made between offices are
free.
Additionally, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may also offer
VoIP services. In this case, you can use your existing Internet connection and not have to pay costly "local loop charges" to obtain voice service. By-passing the "local loop charge" allows your ISP to offer flat rate local and long distance calling plans.
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| What are the advantages of VoIP equipment?
VoIP saves costs and increases productivity. Since VoIP is IP based,
telephones are now integrated with your computing environment. Meaning, telephones are fully integrated with your computers, systems and applications. This provides productivity enhancements to the end user. VoIP systems are much easier to manage because moving, adding, changing and deleting users is managed through a centralized tool. VoIP systems use the same cables and network infrastructure as your computers.
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| Do I need a power adapter for VoIP phones?
This depends on your network switch. If your network switch supports
Power Over Ethernet (POE), then you do not need a power adapter. Power will be sent to the phone through the network switch.
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| How can my computer and phone share one network jack?
VoIP phones contain built-in Ethernet switches . This allows you to "split" your network connection and share it with your phone and computer. Both your phone and computer will each have unique IP
addresses.
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