If you are considering upgrading your dial-up internet to a broadband connection, there are a few things you should know before signing up to a deal, so you can ensure that what you are agreeing to will meet your needs and provide you with a reliable and effective service.

As the majority of retailers, banks and government agencies have websites nowadays and would like customers to utilise online services in order to cut down on paper use and to shorten queues in high street branches, having a web connection that allows you to download and upload data, as well as browse multiple websites without slowing the connection speed has never been so important.

If you live in a rural or remote area, broadband services through your phone line or a cable may not be available. To find out whether it is or not, visit a price comparison site. By entering your home postcode you will be presented with a list of packages that are available in your area. If you live somewhere that broadband is not available, all your options will consist of 'dial-up' connections, mobile broadband and satellite. While these kinds of connections cannot compete with fixed-line broadband in terms of speed and reliability, mobile and satellite broadband are always being improved and can offer speeds that are favourable when compared to the current national average speed.

All you need to be able to access satellite broadband services is a satellite dish installed somewhere that has an unrestricted view of the sky. Mobile broadband is available in areas with strong 3G signal. You can find out how strong the mobile broadband (3G) signal is in your area by entering your postcode on a network coverage map. Every mobile provider features a coverage map on their website- all you need to do is make sure the results you are reading cover the 3G bandwidth. If you have a smartphone and can always use mobile internet when you at home, chances are the 3G signal in your local area is strong enough to support home mobile broadband.

A real unheralded benefit of broadband comparison services is the customer reviews they collect up and make available for anyone to read. Seen a package that looks appealing? Read a decent number of reviews before committing to a contract. If you find that the customer service is awful and technical support is about as useful as a Google search, you may be better off continuing your search and ruling that deal out.

To be sure that you get a deal that entitles you to browse the web at your leisure and watch or download films and TV programmes, take the time to search through a broadband price comparison website. You will not regret it if you do.