ADSL South Africa - ADSL Broadband Cap
Click
here for a full list of factors
to consider when getting ADSL
Broadband.
A "Cap" on an ADSL line is simply a limit to how much
memory one can download per month. It is usually measured in GB
(gigabytes) and once depleted, (Hard
Cap) your ADSL internet connection stops
working or (Soft Cap) you are switched to a throttled service
(slower connection) or have the option to buy additional
bandwidth.
In other
words, if the ADSL Broadband offering you are subscribed to
are "Hard Capped" then the connection will stop working as soon as you go over your monthly
limit.
On the other hand, if you are
subscribed to an ADSL Broadband offering with a "Soft Cap" you will have the option to buy additional
bandwidth when the cap is reached or will be switched to a throttled
service (slower connection).
It must
also be added that many ADSL Broadband offerings with a "Soft Cap" allows one to surf local sites and make
downloads from local sites after the cap is reached. This is called "Local Only ADSL Broadband" or
"Local Only Bandwidth." The cap on "Local Only Bandwidth" is normally higher than the cap on "International
Bandwidth" because "Local Only Bandwidth" is cheaper.
So choosing the right cap is important, otherwise you may find
yourself short close to the end of the month or stuck with a slow
connection or not able to surf international sites.
Even if you sit with a "Soft Cap" and have the option to top-up or
buy additional bandwidth, you don't really want to do that when you reach your cap. The reason for this is simple,
additional bandwidth normally comes at a much higher price than bandwidth within the
cap.
So what Cap do you need?
Here are some guidelines:
-
5GB : For those wishing to play games online, you will find that you will
need at least a 5GB account.
-
10GB
or more: This type of
bandwidth is really only needed for gamers and downloading large files such as games
or videos.
Uncapped ADSL
Broadband vs. Capped ADSL Broadband
"Uncapped ADSL Broadband" refers to
unlimited or unrestricted monthly bandwidth usage while "Capped ADSL Broadband" means there are a limit or
restriction on the bandwidth one may use. "Uncapped ADSL Broadband" is the best connection to have if you are
bandwidth hungry although it's normally more expensive than "Capped ADSL Broadband" for obvious
reasons.
The same principles apply to other broadband offerings that are
"Capped" or "Uncapped" (Soft or Hard).
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