Start with the basics
- In the community

Always switched on

Broadband allows immediate online access. Your computer is always connected to the internet 24 hours-a-day, without you ever having to spend time dialling up. The internet becomes like any other utility, such as electricity or water, it’s just there when you need it, without having to give it any thought. All you have to do is open your browser and you’re connected.

This permanent connection is normally charged at a fixed monthly rate, so you can benefit from constant access to the internet, whenever your computer is switched on, without incurring any additional charges. Check with your ISP for any restrictions they might place on your usage.

With constant access it is possible to establish a free flow of information between the internet and you, which makes many new things possible. For example:

• You will receive emails almost as soon as they are sent
• You can be updated with critical information, from share prices to air, road and rail travel conditions and other news alerts, immediately.
• Your computer can be used as a phone for short-distance, long-distance and international calls — ready to receive and make calls at all times. Because of the fixed broadband fee, these calls can cost nothing, if the other person is using the same software, or a fraction of the usual costs if you call from your PC to a normal phone line

Removing the need to dial-up makes it convenient to leave the computer switched on all day allowing access to instant information: checking the weather; looking up a phone number; finding out the train times; seeing how the traffic is flowing; printing off a map or even finding a new recipe quickly. It also supports shared meetings over the internet and makes online shopping much more realistic, in effect making the barriers of distance irrelevant.