What is FTTC? Comparison Between FTTC Vs FTTP
Have you got frustrated by a slow internet connection and looking for high-speed fibre internet? You may come across two terms FTTC or FTTP, and even if you know what each letter of these words stands for, you need to understand their details so that you can choose the right internet service for your business or home.
A comparison of FTTC VS FTTP may be a bunch of letters for many people, but those who want the best internet deal should know the difference between these two terms.
Both are types of fibre broadband, but they work differently, thus providing you with different speeds and quality. Here in this article, we are going to describe everything you want to know about FTTP and FTTC.
First, let’s understand what fibre broadband is.
You may probably know that fibre optics provide the fastest internet connection. Fibre broadband is a broadband connection that uses fibre optic cables to deliver an internet connection to your home or workplace. It includes both fibres to the cabinet (FTTC) and fibre to the premises (FTTP). Some fibre broadband connections use copper cabling as a part of their infrastructure, while others consist of fibre optics entirely.
Your internet connection speed depends on how much the fibre optic cable covers the route. Copper cables are affected by weather conditions, so the speed of the internet with these cables is lower than fibre broadband.
What Is FTTC (Fibre to the Cabnet)?
Fibre to the cabinet or FTTC is the most commonly used fibre broadband. It uses both traditional copper cabling and fibre optic cables. A fibre optic cable is used to transmit data from your internet service provider (ISP) to the nearest telephone cabinet.
The remaining route from the cabinet to your premises consists of copper cables which are not as efficient as fibre optic cables. It means that from your ISP to the cabinet is lightning fast, but from the cabinet to your home, the speed is not that fast because of copper cables.
In addition, the speed also depends on the distance of your premises from the cabinet—the more the distance, the slower the speed of your internet connection.
What Is FTTP Internet?
Fibre to the premises is sometimes also called full fibre or fibre to the home, and it is a new service compared to FTTC. The major difference is that it uses fibre optic cables directly from your provider to your premises. Unlike FTTC, copper cable is not a part of this internet connection.
Since it runs through fibre optic cables right up to your router, the only thing that affects your connection’s speed is the router’s technology. Since this technology is continuously improving, so is the quality and speed of transmitting data.
If your business is internet critical, then FTTP internet connection is worth considering. It is a future-proof option which means it can provide you maximum speed now and in future too. However, this connection is not available in all areas of the country, so it is essential to check whether it is available in your area or not.
Difference Between FTTC and FTTP
From the above definition of these two internet connections, you can conclude that the difference between FTTC and FTTP is obvious. One is adequate, while the other is insanely fast. But there are some other differences that you must know so that you can choose the right option.
1. Speed
As we already described, speed is the most significant difference between the two. Fibre to the premise is much faster than fibre to the cabinet. With FTTC broadband, you can get an average speed of 35-38Mbps in a cheap package. However, if you spend more, you can get a speed up to 67 Mbps.
FTTP connection is much faster than FTTC providing an internet speed of 330Mb on average and even 1Gbps in some cases. If you are worried about slowing down internet speed and can not afford the loss of internet even for a short time, then FTTP is the best option for you.
2. Availability
FTTP is a newer option, so its availability is extremely limited. Due to the benefits it offers, more and more users are attracted to FTTP. Right now, more than a million premises in the UK have access to this internet connection, and the government is planning to take this number to three million in the near future.
In other words, we can say that FTTP will be the broadband of the future. But FTTC is a widely available and affordable option if you want a high speed as compared to a traditional broadband connection.
3. Cost
Although fibre to the premises (FTTP) is one of the super-fast connections, it is also super expensive. It requires fibre optic cables, so the installation cost is also high as you need new infrastructure in your area.
On the other hand, FTTC also uses traditional copper cabling, so you do not need entirely new infrastructure and save money. If you are low on budget FTTC can be the right option for you.
Pros And Cons Of FTTC And FTTP
If you want to choose the right fibre broadband connection for your home or office it is always essential to look at the positive and negative sides of available options. To help you out, we are describing the pros and cons of both FTTC and FTTP in this section.
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Pros of FTTC
Fibre to the cabinet is a widely available option and is used by most UK users. Here are some of its benefits:
- Installation of FTTC usually does not usually require an engineer visit.
- Download speed is enough for most households.
- It uses a blend of copper and fibre optic cables, so it is less expensive to install.
- It can provide speeds upto 80 Mbps.
- It is cheaper than FTTP and can be a better option if you are tight on budget.
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Cons of FTTC
When choosing an FTTC connection you must keep the following drawbacks in mind.
- It offers a slower speed than the FTTP connection.
- Reliability is also low due to the presence of copper cables in the infrastructure.
- The speed of the connection is affected by the distance of premises from the cabinet.
- Some providers offer FTTC connections without a landline.
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Pros of FTTP
Fibre to the premises provides you with a connection over fibre optic cables right from the provider to your premises. Other than that, it offers many other benefits, some of which are as follows:
- The speed of FTTP broadband is incredibly high. It can provide lightning-fast speed up to 1 Gbps.
- More efficient service for you if you work remotely.
- FTTP internet offers you impressive upload speeds along with super fast download speeds.
- No need to take a landline connection with your broadband if you don’t want to.
- Performance is not affected by distance from the cabinet.
- More reliable connection than FTTC.
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Cons of FTTP
Along with a number of benefits, there are some disadvantages of FTTP connection that you must know before making a final decision.
- It is not available in all areas. Currently, it is present only in big towns and cities.
- It is delivered through fibre optic cables, so it is a costly option.
- Some households do not need FTTP speed. So you may end up paying more for a service that you don’t need.
Which is Better: FTTC or FTTP?
When it comes to choosing an internet connection, everyone needs a reliable and high-quality connection. You can see that there is a clear difference in the quality, speed and reliability of FTTC and FTTP connections.
However, which one suits you the most depends on your requirements and budget. If you are looking for a connection for your home, FTTC can meet your needs without putting pressure on your pocket. Moreover, it is also readily available in more areas as compared to the FTTP connection. If your home is near to the cabinet, it can provide a speed up to 80Mb, which is more than enough for your household internet needs.
On the other hand, if you run a business that relies on the internet for its day-to-day operations, you must go for an FTTP connection. If you can afford to get FTTP internet, it can offer you a high-speed and reliable connection. It also allows you to scale up easily if needed in future. However, you must remember that it is expensive compared to fibre to the cabinet.
FTTP Connection Change Your Internet Experience
- In a nutshell, with an FTTP connection, you will be able to do many things much faster.
- For instance, if you want to download a game or a large file with a standard broadband connection, it can take hours to download the game or file. This way, you have to wait for a long time to play a game or complete your task related to that file.
- On the other hand, if you have a full-fibre connection from a reputable provider, you will likely be up and running within a short time.
- A full-fibre connection is worth considering if you run a business and have to share large files with your team members or clients.
- You can upload and download files faster, save time, and complete projects before deadlines.
- While using such a connection at home you can download 4k or 8k ultra HD movies quickly.
- An FTTP connection is a great option for busy homes such as those having more numbers of family members or student houses. Especially for homes where everyone is a heavy internet user and is online most often.
- A full-fibre connection like FTTP can provide you with a reliable and high-quality connection so that you can enjoy smooth streaming and fast speed even if everyone in your home is using the internet at the same time.
How Do You Get Fibre Broadband?
Right now more than 90% of homes in the UK have access to fibre broadband. So, it is now easier than before to get a fibre connection. With the increasing demand for fibre broadband, providers are also increasing. Here we are describing some providers offering fibre internet connection.
BT
BT is one of the largest fibre broadband providers in the Uk. It offers a wide variety of fibre internet connections, including both FTTP and FTTC connections. You can get a package according to your budget and availability in your area.
Virgin Media
It uses its own network and offers only an FTTC connection. However, with the use of multi-core cables, it offers a speed that is more than a standard FTTC broadband connection.
EE
It is an internet service provider offering FTTC connection using the Openreach network and it also offers FTTP broadband in areas where FTTP is available.
TalkTalk
Most of the internet service providers in the UK are using Openreach’s network, and so is TalkTalk. It offers fibre to the cabinet (FTTP) connection along with FTTP in different areas of the country.
Vodafone
By using Openreach’s network, Vodafone is providing FTTP broadband in different areas of the UK.
How Do You Switch To Fibre Broadband?
Now that you know most of the things about FTTC and FTTP broadband, the next step is choosing the right one for you. When you want to switch to fibre broadband, you should do research to find the available options in your area and the best internet service providers. Once you choose a provider, contact your providers and make an application to get fibre broadband.
If you want to get FTTP broadband, you need a fibre optic infrastructure. Your service provider will send engineers to visit your place and find out how much work is needed to install a connection. It can be a long process as compared to traditional broadband installation.
Once installation is complete, plug your router into the appropriate socket and wait a while. You are ready to use your fibre broadband connection and enjoy a fast-speed connection.
Summing Up
In the current time, high-quality and reliable internet connections are needed for every business and home. Traditional broadband connections can not provide high speed so everyone is looking for a connection with fast upload and download speeds. FTTC and FTTP are the two most commonly used fibre connections. FTTC can provide an average speed but is an affordable option. In contrast, FTTP is a costly option, but it offers a fast speed. You must choose a connection according to your requirements; otherwise, you may end up paying more.
