Are you tired of buffering, slow downloads, and frustrating internet speeds? It's time to upgrade to fibre broadband. But wait, which type of fibre broadband should you choose?

Let’s dive into FTTP vs FTTC.

What is the difference between FTTP and FTTC?

What is FTTP?

FTTP stands for Fibre to the Premises and relates to the network that connects your property to the internet and gives you a broadband connection.

In a FTTP network, only fibre optic cables are used to connect the exchange to your home.

This differs from FTTC...

What is FTTC?

FTTC stands for Fibre to the Cabinet. This relates to the materials used in the network that connects your property to the internet and gives you a broadband connection.

FTTC networks use fibre optic cables to the street cabinet (those green/grey metal boxes you may find dotted around your town). However, from the street cabinet to your property, copper cables are used.

These copper cables are what limits the internet speeds that you could receive at your home.

What is the difference between FTTP and FTTC?

FTTC stands for "Fibre to the Cabinet," which means the fibre optic cables only go as far as the street cabinet, and then copper wires complete the connection to your home.

On the other hand, FTTP stands for "Fibre to the Premises," which means the fibre optic cables go all the way to your home, providing a direct connection to the internet.

This is also referred too as full fibre broadband.

IMPORTANT POINT: If the broadband speed you have is currently under 100Mbps, you’re not on an FTTP connection. Full fibre connections don’t go that slow!

What speeds can I get with FTTC and FTTP?

Typically, FTTP connections have the ability to go much faster than their FTTC counterpart. Some FTTP broadband connections can reach up to 10,000Mbps (or 10Gbps!) meaning that you can get some serious internet speed.

Whilst this may be a little excessive for the average household, most commercial packages usually offer up to 900Mbps.

Some FTTC packages can reach speeds over 100Mbps if you are extremely lucky. But the majority of packages you see online that offer speeds under 100Mbps are on FTTC.

FTTC rarely achieves speeds higher than 100Mbps.

Why Choose FTTP over FTTC?

Well, FTTP offers several benefits that FTTC cannot match:

Faster and More Reliable Speeds

First, FTTP provides faster and more reliable internet speeds. Since there is no copper wire involved, there is no signal loss or interference.

This means you can enjoy faster download and upload speeds, smoother streaming, and better online gaming experiences.

Symmetrical Upload and Download Speeds

Second, FTTP provides symmetrical upload and download speeds.

With FTTC, your upload speed is typically much slower than your download speed. This can be a problem if you need to upload large files, video conference, or run a home business that requires reliable upload speeds.

FTTP provides equal upload and download speeds, making it ideal for anyone who needs fast and reliable internet for both uploading and downloading.

Future-proof Infrastructure

Third, FTTP provides future-proof internet infrastructure.

As our internet needs continue to evolve and demand for higher bandwidth increases, FTTP is the only solution that can provide the necessary speeds and reliability.

FTTC, on the other hand, will eventually become outdated and need to be replaced.

Large Companies Claim to have ‘Fibre Broadband’

Finally, it's worth noting that FTTC is not "real fibre." Big household names claim to have fibre broadband, but it is only FTTC, not FTTP.

Whilst it does use fibre optic cables, the connection is only part fibre and part copper. This means that the benefits of fibre optic technology are not fully realised.

Full fibre, FTTP networks on the other hand, provide a true fibre optic connection, ensuring the fastest and most reliable internet speeds possible.

What’s the Difference in Performance?

So what can you achieve on both FTTP and FTTC?

Well, with FTTP, you can do pretty much anything you want. You can stream 4K videos, play online games without lag, video conference with ease, and download large files in seconds.

With FTTC, you can still do most of these things, but you may experience slower speeds during peak usage times or if you live far away from the street cabinet.

Pros of FTTC copper broadband

• Excellent coverage - more than 90% of properties can have FTTC broadband.
• FTTC broadband deals are very affordable.

Cons of legacy FTTC copper broadband

• Download speeds are slow
• Upload speeds are even slower
• Connection speeds are affected by the length of the copper wire or copper-coax cable from the street-side cabinet, and a host of other copper related issues
• Copper-based service speeds are adversely affected by signalling interference – known as crosstalk
• FTTC broadband is affected by peak busy-hour trafficFTTC is no way near as fast as FTTP broadband.

Pros of FTTP broadband

• Ultrafast internet speeds of 1000Mbps or more
• Symmetrical speeds provide much faster upload speeds, often the same or even faster than downloads speeds
• Doesn't require phone line rental

Cons of FTTP broadband

• Possibly more expensive than FTTC broadband, but there are some amazing deals out there!
• Availability is currently not as widespread nationally as legacy copper-based services, but the rate of FTTH build by modern altnets is increasing

What’s the Difference in Performance?

So what can you achieve on both FTTP and FTTC?

Well, with FTTP, you can do pretty much anything you want. You can stream 4K videos, play online games without lag, video conference with ease, and download large files in seconds.

With FTTC, you can still do most of these things, but you may experience slower speeds during peak usage times or if you live far away from the street cabinet.

Get FTTP, Full Fibre Broadband

If you want the fastest and most reliable internet speeds possible, FTTP is the way to go. While FTTC can still provide decent speeds in some circumstances, it is not a true fibre optic connection and will eventually become outdated.

So upgrade to FTTP and say goodbye to slow internet speeds forever!