What is Fibre Broadband?
Fibre broadband is a type of internet connection that offers faster speeds and a more stable connection. Fibre optic cables connect your local exchange to the green cabinets you see on streets across the UK. These cables handle much more significant amounts of data than the standard copper cables used in an ADSL (standard broadband) connection. Therefore their speeds and signal strength are maintained over much higher distances.
What is Full Fibre Broadband?
Full fibre broadband has many names, such as Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) and Fibre to the Home (FTTH). It is the latest technology for delivering broadband to homes in the UK. It is similar to Fibre Broadband because both technologies use fibre optic cables. However, some differences allow Full Fibre Broadband to deliver even higher speeds and a further reliable connection which we explain below.
Who needs Fibre and Full Fibre Broadband?
Fibre Broadband is recommended for every household in 2022. When considering daily activities conducted at home, streaming videos, listening to music, shopping online and home automation all require Fibre Broadband to operate effectively. Full Fibre is now compulsory to move on to if it is available in your area. We advise buying a connection between 60 and 100mbps to get the most from your broadband. Speeds above 100mbps will only be relevant to homes that have a lot of stream, gaming or in home server services.
What is the difference between Fibre Broadband and Full Fibre Broadband?
Fibre broadband uses fibre optic cables to connect your local exchange to the green cabinets you find on the streets of the UK. Copper lines then connect your home to the green cabinet.
Full Fibre Broadband bypasses the green cabinets and doesn't use copper lines. It uses fibre optic cables from your local exchange, which are connected directly to your property. Due to its superior delivery technology, Full Fibre Broadband can offer speeds up to 1Gbps, whereas Fibre Broadband can typically only offer up to 80Mbps (Speeds of up to 300Mbps can be achieved but only in limited GFast enabled areas).
Can I get Fibre Broadband in my area?
Unfortunately, Fibre broadband isn't available everywhere in the UK. As of May 2019, 95% of UK homes had predicted download speeds of at least 30Mbps. Rural areas have the least availability for Fibre Broadband services as only 77% of homes in rural areas had predicted speeds of at least 30 Mbps.
Full Fibre Broadband (FTTP) coverage is even less. As of January 2021, Full Fibre coverage across the UK was 21%. However, the availability of Full Fibre services is expanding at a rapid rate.
You can use the Openreach DSL Checker to see if your home can get Fibre or Full Fibre Broadband. As a bonus, you'll also be able to see your estimated speeds.
What are the benefits of Fibre Broadband?
Fibre Broadband typically costs more than its slower counterpart, Standard Broadband. So is the additional cost justified for you?
Fibre Broadband offers faster speeds and a more reliable connection. But not everyone needs to take advantage of these features. Fibre Broadband is best for households that strongly rely on an internet connection.
We strongly recommend a Fibre Broadband service if you answer yes to any of these questions.
Do you have a lot of connected devices at any one time (Laptops, Mobile Phones, Gaming Consoles, TVs etc.)?
Do you use streaming services often (Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV etc.)?
Do you do a lot of online gaming?
Do you have IoT devices (Google Home, Amazon Echo, Ring Doorbell etc.)