Are you getting the broadband speeds you’re paying for? 

Check you are getting the broadband speed you are paying for!

Whether working from home, streaming movies, or gaming online, a reliable and fast internet connection is essential. But not all broadband services are created equal. It’s important to understand the different types of broadband speeds you need and how to check your connection to ensure you’re getting the best possible service.

Let’s talk about broadband speeds

The speed of your broadband connection is measured in megabits per second or Mbps. This refers to how quickly data can be downloaded or uploaded from the router in your house the speed at your computer or device will depend on how you set up your local area network (LAN)

Broadband usage at home

For light usage, such as browsing the web and checking email, a speed of around 10Mbps is sufficient. For streaming HD videos and online gaming, a speed of around 50Mbps is recommended. For downloading large files, uninterrupted homeworking, and streaming 4K videos, a speed of 100Mbps is ideal.

Connect more devices with a WiFi 6 router

You’ll also need a higher Mbps if several devices are connected to the network. This prevents lag, jitter, and annoying buffering, meaning everyone in the house can enjoy a smooth, seamless internet experience at the same time.

Making sure you’re getting the right broadband speed

Several online tools can help you determine the speed of your connection. One of the most popular and reliable tools is the Google broadband speed checker. It’s free to use and accurately measures your download and upload speeds.

It’s also super simple!

Use this Broadband Speed Test from Google, then click the run speed test. You’ll get results within a few seconds. They include download speed, upload speed, and response time. These measurements will help you determine if your connection is performing as it should be and that you’re getting the speeds you pay for.

Run the test a few times at different points of the day to get an accurate overview of speeds and network performance.

Why is my internet so slow?

Several factors can impact your internet speeds and connection. Thankfully, many of them can be sorted out with a quick and easy fix.

One common issue is the distance between devices and the router. The further away you are from the router, the weaker your connection will be.

Other factors that could impact your broadband speed include network congestion, interference from other devices, and obstacles, such as concrete reinforced walls and even fish tanks.

What else can I do to improve slow broadband speeds?

Firstly, try restarting your router. This can often help to refresh your connection and improve speeds. However, avoid switching off your router overnight. This is when providers send out updates. If you miss these, your network performance will degrade and slow down.

Try moving your router to a different location or upgrading to a higher-speed broadband package. You could also consider investing in a signal booster or Mesh system to improve your signal strength.

The right speeds for every customer

Broadband speeds are an essential consideration when choosing an internet service provider. With so many different options available, it’s important to understand your individual needs and select a package that meets them.

6G Internet has a package to suit everyone – and always for a very affordable price.

Enjoy a faster, more reliable, and more affordable connection with 6G Internet. Click here to find out if 6G Internet is available in your area.

High Speed Broadband is coming to Bolton, Preston and Hyndburn

This is exciting stuff. After a very successful Blackburn launch, we are now rolling out our super-fast broadband network to more towns across the North West.

The expansion is starting in Bolton, Preston and Hyndburn, with plenty more towns and cities in the pipeline.

You might have already read about the new roll-out in a couple of places, but the general upshot is that an additional 15,000 premises will be connected over the next few months alone.

There are a few reasons why we are getting a bit enthusiastic about this:

  1. We know from Ofcom’s own research that a fast broadband network can benefit a town’s local economy to the tune of tens of millions of pounds and thousands of jobs.
  2. The expansion is proof that there really is an appetite for our new generation of wireless broadband technology.
  3. It’s another step towards our ambition of serving 4 million households by 2022.

Work is just beginning in these towns, with fibre-optic cables being installed via telegraph poles to wireless transmitters throughout the neighbourhoods. This can be done without any of the noise, disruption or expense of installing traditional fibre optic broadband technology.

The transmitters will then send super-fast broadband to receivers on each premise via radio wave, starting at 100 Mbps for £21 with nothing to pay upfront for eligible properties.

If you’re interested in seeing what the fuss is about, enter your details here and we’ll let you know once everything’s ready to go.

Blackburn is lighting up with super-fast broadband

It’s been a couple of months since we launched our super-fast internet service in Blackburn and it’s fair to say we’ve made a few headlines.

Broadband Headlines in Blackburn

New wireless broadband network could result in Blackburn having fastest internet in UK fixed wireless broadband network could result in Blackburn having fastest internet in UK – asianimage.co.uk

Blackburn to be at the cutting edge of next generation broadband roll-out – lancashiretelegraph.co.uk

Super-fast internet rollout begins in Blackburn – lancashiretelegraph.co.uk

6G Internet delivering fibre speed broadband in Blackburn

I think that one reason we’ve had such a good reception is the lack of service that a lot of people feel they get from the ‘big’ ISPs.

We’ve heard from residents who had previously bought the fastest, most expensive broadband in their area, yet still didn’t get the advertised speed with any kind of regularity.

Part of this is down to technology and part of it is down to cost. Even the biggest internet service providers are struggling to roll-out ultra-fast broadband with any consistency.

High speed broadband for communities

If you live outside of big cities or in areas that aren’t chock-full of double garages and golf courses, it can easily feel like you’ve been overlooked. But we’re changing things.

What the future holds for high speed internet in Blackburn

We believe Blackburn will become the blueprint for how broadband will be delivered in the future. For the first time, ultra-fast broadband will be available to an entire town for a price that is lower than what most people already pay for their standard internet.

And speaking of blueprints, we are now rolling out the network to other towns, so keep an eye out for news in your area. In the meantime, check if you’re eligible by entering your postcode here.

What gigabit internet means for your home

Gigabit internet is something that you will hear more and more of over the next few years, so we thought it was probably best to explain how it will affect your life.

You’re probably used to your internet speeds increasing gradually as technology improves. Last year, for example, average download speeds increased 28% from 36.2 Mbps to 46.2 Mbps.

Gigabit internet means speeds of 1,000 Mbps or more. That’s an increase of more than 2,000%. It’s not just faster. It’s a genuine game changer.

We’ll get into what that means a bit later, but first let’s cover the basics.

What on earth is a gigabit?

A gigabit is a measurement of the amount of data that is transmitted by your internet, and is the equivalent of 1,000 megabits (or – if we want to break it down even further – a billion ‘bits’). What gigabit internet really means is that your broadband is capable of transmitting a gigabit of data in a single second.

So your speed is actually measured in gigabits per second, which is often shortened by providers to Gbps, or even just Gb.

1 Gb Internet? What’s the point?

I think we’d all agree that the internet 20 years ago was pretty rubbish. Well, the difference between 1 Gb internet and what you’ve got now is about the same. The change will be enormous.

It’s the kind of difference that is difficult to visualise. Just as not many people in the 90s were anticipating the boom in social media, the move into gigabit internet will open up an entirely new realm of possibilities.

This includes the stuff that sci-fi writers have been predicting since they could pick up a pen. From immersive 360 degree virtual reality to interactive robots in-tune with your kitchen appliances.

It’s not just about being able to game or stream 8K Ultra HD tv in every room of the house, it’s about having a genuinely interconnected home – all designed to make your life easier.

Where can I get gigabit internet in the UK?

While the largest providers are not yet capable of delivering gigabit internet in the UK, there are a number of smaller companies like 6G Internet which already have the technology.

There is no national infrastructure for delivering these sorts of speeds, so each company is installing its own network. This means that coverage is very patchy, because smaller companies that use fibre optic cables need to see if there’s enough demand in a specific postcode to justify digging up the roads and installing their cables.

Work is underway to speed up the installation of new fibre optic cables in towns, but this can take several years, millions of pounds and a lot of noise and disruption.

On the other hand, 6G Internet can install its wireless network within a town or city relatively quickly, enabling the vast majority of premises to receive its signal.

This is what’s happening in Blackburn right now, where 38,000 homes and businesses will be able to access gigabit internet within the next 12 months, with speeds rising to 6 Gbps by 2025.

This is just the start of 6G’s plans to reach 4 million homes within three years.

To see when we’re coming to your town, check your postcode now.

The difference between home broadband speeds

Updated: January 2023

When you’re looking for the best broadband deal, you tend to get bombarded with terminology. Sometimes providers use different terms for the same thing. For example, some ISPs display their speeds as ‘Mb’ and others use ‘Mbps’, which both represent the measurement of megabits per second.

But there are times when you really do have to pay attention to the words, because not all broadband is created equal. So in case you’re ever curious as to what exactly you’re getting, we have produced this handy guide to the differences between superfast, ultrafast and hyperfast broadband connections.

Do you need ultrafast broadband?

The answer depends on how you are going to use your broadband connection. Use the handy checklist below to consider factors that will impact the performance of your internet connection, before you choose which ultrafast broadband package is best for you.

Factors to consider when selecting the broadband speed you will need

  • How many users do you have?
  • How many devices will be connected simultaneously?
    • Computers
    • Tablets
    • Smartphone
    • Games consoles
    • Internet of things
    • Cameras for streaming
    • Security/CCTV
  • What will each device be used for on the internet?
    • Browsing
    • Streaming
    • Listening
    • Gaming
    • Shopping

As an example, if you are e-gaming and using a service like Twitch to stream live gaming, you will need an ultra speed broadband package. You will need to be able to maintain a stable broadband speed whilst other users are using the internet.

Can I get high speed or superfast broadband?

We are rolling out our superfast wireless network. If you live in the North West chances are we are already building our network to reach you!

The broadband speed you can get at home depends on the network infrastructure available to your house. This is specific to your postcode and house number.

We are building our ultrafast high speed broadband network chances are you will be able to get faster speeds in the near future!

What Ofcom says about superfast and ultrafast internet

The law of averages says that if you’re reading this at home or in the office, it probably has access to superfast internet, which Ofcom defines as anything between 30 Mbps and 299 Mbps.

Anything over 300 Mbps is ultrafast broadband

The same Ofcom standards put anything over 300 Mbps into the realm of ultrafast, but the general consensus is that these categories are too broad to really prove useful.

It doesn’t make a huge amount of sense to consider someone with 30 Mbps and another person with 250 Mbps as receiving the same level of internet speed, which is why the industry has now added a few more categories.

6G Internet provides ultrafast 300 Mbps fibre speed fixed wireless broadband

Next generation fixed wireless broadband

Residents and businesses in Thornton Cleveleys, Fleetwood and Bolton are able to benefit for ultrafast 300 Mbps. Check which packages are available in your area. Just add your postcode and details and you will see which broadband packages are available for you to choose.

Superfast vs ultrafast internet

Internet Service Providers generally now categorise superfast broadband as up to around 76 Mbps, as this is the fastest realistic speed that can be delivered by the existing copper cables that connect your premises to the internet exchange.

Anything more than that requires some additional infrastructure, whether steel coaxial cable, fibre optic or (our personal favourite)fixed wireless broadband delivered to a small receiver on the roof.

Both Virgin’s steel coaxial cables and 6G Internet’s fixed wireless broadband can deliver ultrafast broadband speeds starting at 100 Mbps. Ultrafast broadband is now considered to cover anything up to 500 Mbps.

Hyperfast broadband vs gigabit broadband

This is the point at which speeds move into hyperfast, ranging from 500 – 1,000 Mbps. Virgin cannot achieve these speeds as of yet, while 6G Internet’s network in Blackburn is expected to hit 1,000 Mbps within the next 12 months.

Building towards Gigabit Broadband speeds

Otherwise known as gigabit internet, speeds of 1,000 Mbps upwards can be achieved by digging up your road to connect fibre optic cables to your premises, or by connecting 6G Internet’s receiver to your roof. By 2025, our Blackburn network will be capable of delivering 6,000 Mbps, or 6 Gbps.

We are continuing to expand across the UK and aim to serve around 4 million households within the next three years.

If you want to know when we arrive in your area, check your postcode today.

The best fibre optic broadband deal doesn’t use fibre optic

You know the drill by now. You search online for the best fibre optic broadband deal and get the same results -the same companies, the same deals, the same sinking feeling.

Like groundhog day but without the light-hearted ending.

The problem is you want the fastest internet possible and you’ve been told that fibre optic is the only way to go.

You might have even checked whether it’s available and seen the huge monthly fees or the long wait until a company has installed fibre in your area.

Get 6G Internet Superfast broadband

Well those aren’t your only options. Because without wanting to sound like a stage-hypnotist, you’re not actually looking for fibre optic broadband at all. You’re looking for high speed superfast internet.

Ofcom defines ultra fast broadband as any speed over 300 mbps

The difference is not just semantics. In numbers, ultrafast is anything over 300 mbps, which requires technology beyond the standard copper cable that connects most homes to their internet. But that doesn’t mean you have to replace one cable with another. If you are in Thornton-Cleveleys, Fleetwood or Bolton you can receive 300 Mbps from 6G Internet, use the link below to check if your address is on net.

Check if you can receive ultrafast broadband from 6G Internet.

Fixed wireless broadband is quick and easy to install

Our fixed wireless broadband is capable of ultrafast speeds, and because installing it doesn’t involve digging up every street in town, it’s much cheaper for us to run compared to fibre optic broadband.

That means two things:

  1. We can bring ultrafast internet to an area much quicker than other companies
  2. We can charge our customers much less for speeds that previously only fibre optic cables could achieve

Ultrafast broadband is coming to Blackburn

It’s still early days, but we are already in the process of making Blackburn one of the first-ever gigabit-capable towns in the UK, meaning residents will soon have access to speeds of 1,000 mbps as standard.

100 Mbps Broadband Blackburn

Speeds are currently capped at 100 mbps for £21, but will soon get faster as we get our network fully established.

If you’re a Blackburn resident you might also be eligible for the government’s Gigabit Voucher scheme, meaning your connection to our network could be completely subsidised.

Why not check if it’s available in your area.