FTTC vs FTTP
What do FTTC and FTTP mean?
FTTC stands for ‘Fibre to the Cabinet’, which is the type of broadband most of us use and is also referred to as standard fibre broadband. It uses older copper cables to carry internet to your home. It’s the most readily available to homes in the UK and offers speeds of up to 80 Mbps.
FTTP stands for ‘Fibre to the Premises’ and it’s a fibre broadband technology that can provide super-fast speeds. FTTP is also sometimes referred to as full fibre broadband. When you choose FTTP broadband, a fibre-optic cable is installed from the street cabinet right into your home, giving you better broadband speeds.
FTTC vs FTTP
If you have a FTTC connection, broadband is carried at high speeds down fibre-optic cables from your supplier to the cabinet at the end of your street. From there, copper cables carry the signal to your home.
With FTTP, the copper cable is replaced with fibre-optic cable, meaning the signal only passes along the fast fibre-optic cable, allowing for much faster upload and download speeds.
FTTC vs FTTP: Speed
With FTTP broadband you can experience faster internet download speeds, up to 910 Mbps. In comparison, FTTC is limited to 80 Mbps. However, depending on what you’re doing – 80 Mbps may be fast enough for what you need. For example, if you only use the internet for surfing the web and general streaming, 80 Mbps is likely to be enough.
FTTP also benefits from faster upload speeds, which is perfect if you video call, game, or stream frequently. Depending on your connection, you can achieve up to 910 Mbps upload speeds.
What are the other benefits of FTTP?
You’re future proofing your home. Full fibre also makes it easier to upgrade if you want to at a later date, meaning faster speeds when you need them. Another benefit of FTTP is reliability; it’s more reliable than the older copper cables, meaning it’s less susceptible to faults and interference from things like bad weather.
At Vodafone, we have a range of affordable full fibre plans to suit your budget with free installation. As the UK’s largest provider of full fibre, we’re in more homes than anyone else and continuing to roll out across the country. So, if full fibre isn’t available in your area yet – we’re working on it. Check your coverage
Do I have FTTP or FTTC broadband currently?
You can check with your broadband provider whether you have a FTTP or FTTC connection.
If you’re already a Vodafone Broadband customer and have a FTTP connection, your plan name will include the words ‘full fibre’, for example, ‘Full Fibre 500’. If you have a FTTC connection, you will have a Fibre 1 or Fibre 2 plan.
If you’re a new customer and can get FTTP, you’ll see full fibre plans listed when checking your availability.
Can I upgrade FTTC to FTTP?
You can upgrade to FTTP if your area has rolled out full fibre. If you’re a new customer, you can check your coverage
If you’re an existing customer, we have a dedicated page where you can learn more and upgrade your broadband
If you can’t upgrade currently, we can notify you when full fibre is available in your area. Register your interest
Is FTTC being phased out?
The copper network which FTTC runs on, is being gradually phased out across the UK. Openreach, who manage this network, are aiming for a completion date of 2030.
When FTTP is completely rolled out across an area, you will no longer be able to purchase FTTC. This needs to be done to successfully roll out full fibre across the rest of the UK. The old copper wire is very expensive to maintain, with new parts no longer being made due to the technology being outdated.