Press & PR

For those confused by broadband speeds, advice has been given to clear up the matter.

Responding to a reader's letter, Guardian technology commentator Jack Schofield has noted that broadband speeds are often measured in different ways.

The reader had noted that while most broadband providers advertise speeds in bits per seconds, most broadband users are more familiar with bytes; the reader asked Mr Schofield why this discrepancy wasn't more commonly advertised.

He explained that while information - such as VoIP data - is sent by providers in bits, it is converted by into bytes when it reaches computers, with 8 bits amounting to one byte. However, he adds that there are other ways to convert bits, so the usual megabit per second standard is the most reliable measure of the speed supplied by broadband provider.

For those using an 8Mbps connection, "this is not far off one megabyte per second. You can download a 100 megabyte file in about 120-140 seconds, i.e. a little over two minutes", Mr Schofield suggests.

Consumer advice service Which? explains that internet speeds can be affected by a wide range of issues, such as the time of day, the number of users connected in a household, the type of modem that is used and the distance from the telephone exchange.

Vonage is allowing broadband users to make cheap calls using its internet phone services, with the V-Plan 1 package available for £5.99 per month.