The requirement and demand for broadband Internet have surged due to the pandemic and the rising culture of working and learning from home. At a time such as this, one would want an internet network that’s not only fast and secure but is also reliable in the sense that it would not keep dropping its speed or connectivity. This is why broadband internet becomes an ideal option and in comparison is better than 4G if you are working from home.
4G Networks in India Are Very Congested
Because a large population of India relies heavily on the top two operators of the country, including Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, the 4G networks of these companies are mostly congested. If you live in an urban area and are working from home, you wouldn’t want to depend on the 4G network of Jio or Airtel to do things such as video conferencing, download heavy and important work files during peak hours.
This is because, during peak hours, the networks of these telcos are so congested that people can’t even use basic internet services properly. At the same time, with a broadband connection, you don’t have to face any such issues.
Broadband connections are the best because their up-time is very high and they provide internet speeds of up to 1 Gbps. Further, users don’t have to worry about their Wi-Fi networks getting too congested because they can control which device is connected to their network.
You can comfortably choose internet speed plans that fulfil your requirements and then just work seamlessly without any worries. Mobile networks sometimes perform good and then perform bad, but with a broadband connection, you don’t have to worry about losing connectivity until and unless you are out of the Wi-Fi network coverage.
Different Use Cases of 4G and Broadband
One thing that’s worth noting here is that both broadband and 4G have different use cases. This is because broadband internet can’t be utilised once you step out of the Wi-Fi network coverage, which is usually very small. But with 4G networks, you can sit in a cafe and keep working.
Thus, if you are someone who moves a lot and works from different locations, a strong 4G network can only help you. 5G is still years away in India now, so the users have got only two options for now - broadband or 4G.
While satellite broadband is making its way to India, it won’t be cheap, and I expect mostly enterprise customers to purchase its plans initially. There are several broadband internet service providers in every part of India.
Even telecom operators, including Vodafone Idea (You Broadband), Reliance Jio (JioFiber), Bharti Airtel (Airtel Xstream Fiber), and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL Bharat Fibre), provide broadband services to customers all around India.
However, note that whenever I say broadband, I mean fiber broadband. It is with fiber broadband technology only that people can receive internet speeds of up to 1 Gbps on their premises.