Faster internet has finally made its way to almost 500 properties Eastington.

Here is a quick guide to what it is, if it is something you want and how you can get it.

 Mark Chatterley explains...

What are we using at the moment?

Currently our internet connection goes from our houses all the way to the telephone exchange in Stonehouse over copper wire. It is this distance that causes our speed to be so slow.

What has changed?

We now have two fibre cabinets in the village. These are connected to the Stonehouse telephone exchange by fibre optic cable. These boxes will allow for internet download speeds of up to 80Mbit per second.

However, our third phone cabinet has not been upgraded. People connected to this cabinet cannot get faster internet, and I've heard that there are no plans to upgrade this part of the current phase of the Fastershire rollout.

What do you mean 'speeds of up to'?

In the same way that our village's internet speed is currently limited due to our distance away from the Stonehouse exchange, the new speed you will be able to get will be determined by your distance from the new fibre boxes.

The further you are away from them, the slower your connection will be. However, most people should see an increase from changing.

You can get a prediction of your connection speed by going to: www.samknows.com/broadband/ broadband_checker and entering your landline phone number. On the results page select BT FTTC.

Do I need to update?

The simple test: Is your internet speed too slow for you at the moment?

With the upgraded internet multiple people in a house could use the connection without it slowing down.

You could have mum playing Xbox online, dad watching a YouTube video on how to cook homemade Korma, one kid catching up with Agents of Shield on All4 all while the other watches cartoons on NetFlix. All without any buffering.

Does it cost more?

Yes. You will need to pay an extra per month to use the fibre connection rather than the copper. You may also need to purchase a new modem/router that 'speaks' the language expected by the new cabinets. There may also be a one-­‐off installation charge. All of these vary depending on who your internet service provider is.

Who do I ask and what for?

You need to get in contact with your internet service provider. These are the people you pay monthly for your internet connection. This could be BT themselves or a number of other providers.

Different internet service providers call the upgraded service different things. It's official name is 'fibre to the cabinet' or FTTC. BT calls this Infinity 1 and Infinity 2 depending on how much speed you want.

The technical terms

Mbit – Megabit, a measurement of data transfer speed. Not to be confused with Megabyte which is a measurement of storage space.

'Speeds of up to' – Until a connection is in place, there is no 100% sure way of knowing what speed you will get. It varies based on distance from the fibre cabinet, quality of the copper wire, how many people are connected at the same time and more.