What is Full Fibre Broadband?
Full fibre (FTTP) is the fastest and most reliable type of broadband, using fibre optic cables all the way to your home.
Full Fibre vs Standard Fibre
Full Fibre (FTTP) means the fibre optic cable runs all the way from the exchange to your home. There's no copper involved at any point - it's pure fibre end-to-end.
Standard Fibre (FTTC) is what most people call "fibre broadband," but it actually uses copper cables for the final stretch from the green street cabinet to your home. This limits speeds to around 70 Mbps.
The difference is significant - full fibre can deliver speeds over 1000 Mbps, while FTTC maxes out at about 70 Mbps due to the copper bottleneck.
Benefits of Full Fibre
- ✓Faster Speeds: Up to 1000+ Mbps compared to ~70 Mbps max on FTTC.
- ✓More Reliable: No copper cables mean fewer outages and consistent speeds.
- ✓Better Upload: Faster upload speeds for video calls and cloud backups.
- ✓Future-Proof: Infrastructure that will last for decades.
- ✓No Degradation: Speeds don't decrease with distance from the exchange.
- ✓Lower Latency: Direct fibre connection means faster response times.
Is Full Fibre Available in My Area?
Full fibre rollout is accelerating across the UK. Openreach (BT's network) is deploying FTTP to millions of homes, while alternative networks like CityFibre, Hyperoptic, and Virgin Media are expanding coverage.
To check availability, you can use the postcode checker on provider websites or use our comparison tool to see which full fibre options are available at your address.
Even if full fibre isn't available yet, it's worth checking periodically as new areas are being connected every week.