Full Fibre vs Part Fibre: What's the Difference? (FTTP vs FTTC)

When BT or Sky says you're on "fibre broadband," they might be telling the whole truth — or only half of it. The UK broadband industry has a well-documented labelling problem that leaves millions of households confused about what they're actually paying for.

Here's the plain-English explanation of what full fibre and part fibre actually mean, the real difference in performance, and how to check which one you have today.

The "Fibre" Confusion Problem

"Fibre broadband" is a marketing term, not a technical one. ISPs use it to describe two completely different types of connection:

• Part fibre (FTTC) — fibre runs from the exchange to the green street cabinet, then copper wire from the cabinet to your home
• Full fibre (FTTP) — fibre runs all the way from the exchange directly into your property — no copper at all

Ofcom has pushed for clearer labelling, and from 2023 ISPs are required to distinguish between the two in their advertising. But the damage from years of conflation means many customers still don't know which one they have.

Part Fibre: FTTC Explained

FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) is still the most common type of broadband in UK homes, though that's changing fast. Here's how it works:

1. Fibre optic cable runs from the telephone exchange to the green street cabinet (the metal box you see on pavements)
2. From the cabinet to your home, the signal travels over the original copper phone line
3. The copper section degrades the signal — the further your house is from the cabinet, the slower your speed

This is why two neighbours on the same FTTC plan from the same provider can get wildly different speeds — it's entirely down to the length of copper between their home and the cabinet.

Upload speeds on FTTC are always asymmetric — typically 10–20 Mbps regardless of your download package. This is a fundamental limitation of the technology.

Full Fibre: FTTP Explained

FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) replaces the copper entirely. A fibre optic cable runs from the exchange all the way to a small box (an ONT — Optical Network Termination unit) fitted inside or on the outside of your home.

• No copper at any point — your speed isn't affected by distance or the condition of old phone lines
• Symmetric speeds — upload speed equals download speed. On a 500 Mbps FTTP plan, you get ~500 Mbps upload too
• Much more consistent — no signal degradation over distance, no noise from old wiring
• Higher speed ceiling — FTTP supports gigabit (1,000 Mbps) and even multi-gigabit speeds as the network is upgraded

The installation requires an engineer visit to fit the ONT, usually taking 2–4 hours. Most providers offer this free of charge when you sign up to an FTTP plan.

FTTC vs FTTP: Head-to-Head

How to Tell What You Have

The quickest ways to check your connection type:

Should I Upgrade to Full Fibre?

In almost all cases — yes, if it's available at your address. The practical reasons:

• Full fibre plans are now competitively priced — often only £5–10/month more than FTTC
• The speed improvement is dramatic for anyone above average FTTC speeds: 80 Mbps → 150 Mbps minimum
• Upload speeds jump from 15–20 Mbps to symmetric speeds — transformative for home workers, creators, cloud users
• The copper phone network (PSTN) is being switched off by BT Openreach — FTTC users will eventually need to migrate anyway
• Full fibre is more reliable — no degradation from old copper wiring or weather-related line noise

Check availability at your address using the Openreach checker, or ask BT, Sky, or Vodafone directly. Smaller local providers (altnets) like Brsk, YouFibre, and Gigaclear may also offer FTTP in your area at competitive prices.

FAQ

Is "fibre" broadband the same as full fibre?

No — and this is the most common source of confusion. When ISPs say "fibre broadband," they often mean FTTC (part fibre), where only part of the connection is fibre. True full fibre (FTTP) should be labelled as "Full Fibre," "FTTP," or "Ultrafast Full Fibre." Always ask your provider to confirm which technology they're offering at your address.

How much faster is full fibre than part fibre?

Significantly faster on both download and upload. FTTC typically delivers 35–80 Mbps download and 10–20 Mbps upload. FTTP entry plans start at 150 Mbps download with symmetric upload — that's more than double the speed, plus a roughly 7–10× improvement in upload speed.

Will full fibre improve my Wi-Fi?

Yes and no. Upgrading to full fibre improves your line speed, but your Wi-Fi performance still depends on your router and the layout of your home. A fast full fibre connection paired with an old or poorly positioned router will still produce disappointing Wi-Fi speeds. See our Wi-Fi improvement guide for router-side optimisations.