May 16, 2023
FTTP, or Fibre to the Premises, is a high-speed broadband network that only uses fibre optic cables to deliver homes and businesses faster internet speeds.
This is in contrast to Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC), where fibre optic cables are only laid up to a street cabinet, with the last leg of the connection to your home being made via copper cabling.
FTTP eliminates the need for copper and offers a fibre-only connection from the exchange to the premises.
To understand other differences about these two, we've got a whole post dedicated to it.
The advantages of FTTP are numerous, including faster internet speeds, higher reliability, and lower latency.
According to a recent report by Ofcom, FTTP connections can deliver average speeds of up to 1 Gbps, making them up to 18 times faster than traditional ADSL (copper-only) connections.
This makes FTTP ideal for high-bandwidth activities such as video streaming, gaming, and remote working.
Another significant advantage of FTTP is that it future-proofs the network.
As the demand for data increases, FTTP's symmetrical connection ensures that both download and upload speeds are consistent, making it well-suited for technologies such as Ultra HD video streaming, cloud computing, and video calls over your laptop, computer, tablet and phone.
So, how can you find out if you're on an FTTP connection?
The easiest way is to check with your internet service provider (ISP).
They should be able to tell you whether you're on an FTTP or FTTC connection.
Another way to know is that if you are receiving internet speeds over 150Mbps. Unless you live right by a cabinet, copper speeds rarely reach over 150Mbps.
Alternatively, if you are receiving speeds below 150Mbps, fibre doesn't go that slow! You will most likely be on a copper connection!
If you're unsure about who your ISP is, you can use an online broadband checker such as Uswitch or Broadband Choices.
These tools can also provide information on the estimated speeds you can expect on your connection and any available upgrades in your area.
FTTP is the next-generation broadband network that uses solely fibre optic cables to deliver broadband to your home.
It's a future-proof technology that provides symmetrical upload and download speeds, making it ideal for data-intensive activities such as video streaming, cloud computing, and virtual and augmented reality.
If you're interested in upgrading to an FTTP connection, be sure to use our availability checker to see if our network has reached you!