For the majority of those looking to upgrade to broadband Internet for the business or home, it's all about the extra speed.

Generally, the term broadband refers to a high-speed Internet transmission (usually 256Kbps and above) featuring a permanent connection. For years now, broadband has come in a range of high-speed connection plans across a variety of access services, and.if you're still trapped in the glacial age of dial-up, there really hasn't been a better time to upgrade.

Always on connection

More than just the practical benefits of a faster connection, broadband can also change the way you approach using the Internet. With a dial-up connection you may consider it a nuisance to log on frequently to look up small items online -- for example, using the Yellow Pages to find a phone number. If, instead, you have an always-on, fast connection, these tasks can be completed quickly, with little fuss.

Price factor

Given that broadband services are often touted as being more expensive -- there's also the issue of price. In short, broadband is more costly than dial-up.

However, with so many packages out there today many broadband payment plans are quite comparable to dial-up services. If you are a frequent dial-up user, this equates to many phone calls during a month. Once you factor in the cost of local calls every time you dial -up, plus the cost of your monthly plan, your 56Kbps account may not seem that cheap after all. If you've opted for a dedicated second phone line, you will also be paying additional line rental fees. Compare this to the budget ADSL plans now available and you can start to see the economic potential of broadband services to their dial-up counterparts.

With an ADSL or cable modem connection, for example, you can surf the Web without tying up your phone line -- plus, the connection can potentially be shared amongst other PCs in your home. ADSL, cable modem, satellite and wireless services do generally cost more to setup, but as you will see from this buying guide, there are a variety of ways to reduce the costs of installing the service as well.