DIFFERENT TYPES OF BROADBAND

1. FULL FIBRE (FTTP)

This is the best fixed-line broadband technology widely available to UK homes. FTTP stands for Fibre to the Premises. It uses fibre optic strands all the way to your home, so the final section is not limited by the old copper phone line.

In the UK, Openreach is the biggest wholesale FTTP network, while altnets such as CityFibre, Hyperoptic and Community Fibre have also expanded full-fibre coverage. GPON is still common, while XGS-PON is increasingly used on newer or upgraded networks and supports symmetrical multi-gigabit services.

2. CABLE (HFC)

Before full fibre became widely available, cable was the UK’s main gigabit option. Traditional cable broadband is delivered over HFC, or Hybrid Fibre Coaxial, and in the UK it is mainly associated with Virgin Media O2’s legacy network.

Fibre runs most of the way, but the final section uses coaxial cable. On DOCSIS 3.1, HFC can deliver around 1Gbps downloads, but uploads are usually lower than on full fibre and performance can vary at busy times. Virgin Media O2 also sells newer XGS-PON full-fibre services in some areas, which are separate from its cable HFC footprint.

3. PART-FIBRE (FTTC / SoGEA)

This is the legacy superfast product still used in many UK homes. FTTC means Fibre to the Cabinet. Fibre runs to the street cabinet, then copper carries the signal from the cabinet to your home.

Speed falls as the copper run gets longer. Openreach FTTC and SoGEA products typically go up to 80Mbps down and 20Mbps up. G.fast exists in some areas and can go up to 330Mbps, but it has never been as widely available as FTTC.

TECH COMPARISON MATRIX

We have ranked the major connection types by real-world capability in the UK. Click on a technology below to see its strengths and weaknesses.

4. WIRELESS (5G & 4G)

If you cannot get a fixed line installed quickly, wireless broadband can be a strong alternative. This includes 4G and 5G fixed wireless access, which use the mobile network, and local WISP services in some areas.

5G Home Broadband: In a good coverage area, 5G can be fast enough for streaming, working from home and everyday gaming. Performance varies with signal quality, network congestion and your property, but the main advantage is convenience because it is usually plug and play with no engineer visit.

WISP (Fixed Wireless): In some rural areas, a local wireless provider can be a useful fallback where both fixed fibre and mobile coverage are poor.

5. SATELLITE (LEO VS GEO)

Satellite broadband has improved dramatically with LEO constellations such as Starlink. In the UK, Starlink says residential service typically delivers 80 to 200Mbps download, up to 15 to 35Mbps upload and 25 to 60ms latency on land.

Traditional GEO satellites sit far higher above Earth and therefore have much higher latency. They are still useful in hard-to-reach locations, but LEO is the better fit for most homes that cannot get decent fixed or mobile broadband.

6. BUSINESS & DEDICATED LINES

For businesses, standard consumer broadband is not always enough. Leased lines provide dedicated, symmetrical connectivity between fixed locations, with better resilience and business-grade service commitments than shared consumer broadband.

Some larger organisations also use dark fibre, where they lease fibre and light it with their own equipment. That gives them more control over capacity, routing and resilience, but it is a specialist product rather than a mainstream SME option.

INSTALLATION METHODS

How does the fibre actually reach you? It depends on the build method.

PIA (Physical Infrastructure Access): Altnets can use Openreach ducts and poles through PIA, which reduces the need for fresh civil engineering and helps networks expand faster.

Micro-trenching: Another deployment method is micro-trenching, where a narrow cut is made in the road or pavement to lay fibre more quickly than a full trench.

UK VS USA TERMINOLOGY

If you read international tech sites, the terms can be confusing. Here is a quick translation guide:

Fibre vs Fiber: The US uses "fiber". The UK uses "fibre".

FTTC vs FTTN: They are not always exact equivalents, but US sites often use FTTN or VDSL for similar cabinet or node based part-fibre services.

Cable: In the UK, cable usually means Virgin Media O2’s HFC network. In the US, it often refers to cable operators such as Xfinity or Spectrum.

THE PSTN SWITCH-OFF

Openreach plans to retire the analogue PSTN and WLR platform by 31 January 2027. Most households and businesses will need to move to a digital phone service before then, although the exact timing depends on the provider and service.

If you still use a landline, your handset will usually plug into your router or an adapter instead of the wall socket. Special care is needed for alarms, telecare and other devices that relied on the old analogue line.

EVOLUTION OF SPEED