VPN use has increased significantly over the past decade as a growing number of people face fears over online privacy. In the wake of numerous privacy scandals, VPNs, which offer private browsing, have gone from a niche product into a popular service.
According to PureVPN, more than three million people regularly make use of its software. Some data even indicates that as much as 25% of Internet users globally use VPN services, often as a way to protect online privacy and with their recent no-log audit carried out by Altius IT, one of the leading audit firm, their user base is set to increase manifold.
VPN stands for “virtual private network.” When used, a VPN can obscure a user’s IP address, in effect preventing apps and websites from seeing where they’re located and the ISP they use to access online content.
You can think of a VPN as a virtual shield between your real location and the location provided to website and application administrators.
Early VPNs gave users limited choice when it came to obscuring their IP address online. They often automatically selected an IP address from a limited pool of available options, giving users some degree of privacy but limiting their choices.
Today, leading VPNs offer a diverse range of IP addresses for users to choose from. PureVPN, for example, maintains a network of more than 2,000 global servers, giving users a total pool of more than 300,000 IP addresses to use.
These servers span the entire globe, from North America to Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania and even South America. In total, PureVPN’s network includes more than 180 different locations for users to choose from, providing an unprecedented degree of online privacy.
This geographic variety also gives users the ability to target their browsing experience based on the location they choose. For example, many regular VPN users make use of VPN software as a way to access content that’s blocked in their geographical location, such as video or news.
PureVPN’s large network also answers one of the most common complaints users have about VPN services -- poor reliability and speed.
Until recently, many VPN services offered private browsing, albeit with the cost of predictable, steady transfer speed. It was common for VPN users to experience reduced speeds, making it difficult to enjoy data-heavy content such as HD and 4K video.
Reduced speeds also made VPN services less useful for online gamers, who depend on a fast connection to avoid latency issues that can affect gameplay.
Currently, PureVPN states that its VPN service is the “fastest ever” -- a claim that’s possible due to its extensive network of servers. With more than 2,000 servers, PureVPN can offer users the fastest connection for any web-based task, whether it’s watching video or reading the news.
The company also optimizes all of its servers for speed, providing users with the fastest online experience possible.
As online privacy becomes a larger concern for end users, VPN services are likely to continue to grow in popularity. With its extensive, speed-optimized network, PureVPN aims to lead the way both in security, convenience and, of course, in transfer speeds.