Fibre vs Full Fibre vs Part Fibre
Decoding the Connection
The Simple Explanation
Think of your internet connection like the plumbing in your house. The Full Fibre experience is like having a brand-new, wide industrial pipe connected directly to your kitchen tap—water flows instantly and with massive pressure.
Part Fibre (FTTC/FTTN) is different. It’s like having that big pipe run to the end of your street, but then the water has to travel through an old, narrow, leaky garden hose to get to your house. No matter how fast the water moves in the street, it slows down the moment it hits that old hose. In broadband terms, that "garden hose" is the old copper telephone wire.
This is why you often see ads for "Fibre" that don't feel much faster than what you had before—because the bottle-neck is the wire already inside your walls.
The Physics of the "Last Mile"
The technical reason why Part Fibre is inferior comes down to physics: Attenuation.
Data travels over copper wires as electrical signals. Copper has resistance, which causes the signal to degrade (weaken) the further it travels. If you live right next to the street cabinet, you might get 70Mbps. But if you live 500 meters away, that speed might drop to 30Mbps. If you live a mile away, you might barely get 10Mbps.
Full Fibre uses light, not electricity. Light traveling through glass fibre optic strands experiences almost zero signal loss over these distances. You get the same speed whether you are next door to the exchange or three miles away.
What is "Part Fibre"? (FTTC/FTTN)
FTTC stands for Fibre to the Cabinet (or FTTN - Fibre to the Node in the US). This was the standard "upgrade" from 2010-2020.
- The Marketing Trick: Providers are often allowed to call this "Fibre Broadband" because part of the network is fibre. However, it is not "Full" fibre.
- How it works: High-speed fibre cables stop at the green metal cabinet on the street corner. The journey to your house is completed by the old copper phone line (PSTN).
- Max Speeds: Typically capped around 67 Mbps download, and often much lower for uploads (around 18 Mbps).
What is Full Fibre? (FTTP/FTTH)
FTTP stands for Fibre to the Premises (or FTTH - Fibre to the Home). This is the only "true" fibre connection.
- No Copper: The glass fibre cable runs all the way from the exchange, down the street, and physically through your wall into your home.
- Future Proof: While current packages usually sell speeds up to 1Gbps (1,000 Mbps), the cables themselves are capable of handling much more (10Gbps+ in the future).
- Reliability: Fibre is not affected by rain, electromagnetic interference, or distance, making it incredibly stable.
The Cable Middle Ground (DOCSIS)
There is a third major player that confuses people: Coaxial Cable. This is used by Virgin Media in the UK and Xfinity/Comcast/Spectrum in the US.
This is technically "Part Fibre" because fibre goes to a node in your neighborhood, but it uses a thick, shielded coaxial cable (the kind used for TV) to enter your home rather than a thin phone wire. This cable is much better at carrying data than phone wire, allowing for Gigabit download speeds that rival Full Fibre. However, it often lags behind Full Fibre in upload speeds and latency.
The "Upload Speed" Trap
Most people only look at download speed (how fast you can watch Netflix). But if you work from home, game, or back up photos to the Cloud, you need Upload Speed.
- Part Fibre (FTTC): Highly asymmetric. You might get 60Mbps down, but only 10-15Mbps up. This causes Zoom calls to freeze when someone else is online.
- Full Fibre (FTTP): Often symmetric or close to it. You can get 500Mbps down AND 500Mbps up. This makes sending large files or hosting streams instant.
Installation Differences
Moving from Part Fibre to Full Fibre isn't just a switch at the exchange; it requires physical work.
- Part Fibre Installation: Usually requires no engineer. You plug your new router into your existing phone socket. Simple.
- Full Fibre Installation: An engineer must visit. They will bring the fibre cable from the street (either via a telephone pole or underground duct). They will drill a small hole through your exterior wall and install a new box called an ONT (Optical Network Terminal) inside your house. You plug your router into this box.
US vs UK Terminology
Same technology, different slang. Here is how to translate the jargon:
| Technology | UK Terminology | US Terminology |
|---|---|---|
| Part Fibre | FTTC / Superfast | FTTN / DSL / "Fiber-backed" |
| Cable (Coax) | Virgin Media / Ultrafast | Cable Internet (Xfinity/Spectrum) |
| Full Fibre | FTTP / Full Fibre / Hyperfast | FTTH / Fiber Internet (Fios/Google Fiber) |
Interactive Comparison
Click on a technology below to see the specs.
| Technology | Type | Download Speed | Upload Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADSL | All Copper | ~10 Mbps | ~1 Mbps |
| FTTC | Part Fibre | 30 - 70 Mbps | 10 - 18 Mbps |
| Cable | Hybrid Coax | 100 - 1100 Mbps | 30 - 100 Mbps |
| FTTP | Full Fibre | 100 - 3000 Mbps | 100 - 3000 Mbps |
Timeline of Speed
The Copper Era (ADSL)
Using the full length of phone wires. Speeds were slow (Max 24Mbps) and degraded heavily with distance.
The "Part Fibre" Era (FTTC)
Fibre reached the street cabinet. This boosted speeds to ~70Mbps, enabling HD streaming but retaining the copper bottleneck.
The Gigabit Era (FTTP)
Full Fibre removes copper entirely. Speeds hit 1Gbps+, enabling 4K streaming, smart homes, and seamless remote work.
The Future (XGS-PON)
Next-gen fibre tech is already testing speeds of 25Gbps to 50Gbps using the exact same cables we are laying today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Part Fibre "Fake" Fibre?
It's not "fake" because it uses fibre for the long haul to the exchange, but it is certainly misleading. The final connection to your home is copper, which limits performance significantly compared to a pure fibre connection.
Do I need to dig up my garden for Full Fibre?
Not usually. If your current phone line comes from a telephone pole, the fibre will likely follow the same air route. If your utilities are underground, engineers often use existing ducts. Digging is a last resort.
Why is my upload speed so slow on FTTC?
FTTC technology (VDSL2) allocates much more frequency on the copper wire to downloading than uploading. This was designed when people mostly consumed content (Web/TV). In the modern era of Zoom and Cloud backups, this asymmetry is a major weakness.