Key Takeaways
- FTTC uses fibre to the cabinet, then copper to your home.
- FTTP runs fibre all the way to your property for stronger performance.
- Full fibre usually delivers better upload speed and stability at busy times.
- Availability is still property-specific, so always run an address-level check.
How FTTC and FTTP are built
Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) means fibre reaches your street cabinet, but the final stretch into your home still runs over older copper lines.
Full Fibre (FTTP) uses fibre all the way from the exchange to your property, removing that copper bottleneck at the end of the connection.
What changes for speed and reliability
Because FTTP avoids copper in the last section, it typically delivers faster and more consistent speeds, especially in peak evening hours.
- Higher download and upload performance
- Lower performance drop at busy times
- Better support for cloud backup, video calls, and gaming
- More headroom for multi-device households
Why neighbours can see different options
Availability can vary between nearby addresses because rollout happens in stages and infrastructure routes differ by property type, road, and building access.
That is why one home may have full fibre now while a neighbouring property is still limited to FTTC.
How to compare the right way
Do not choose only by headline speed. Compare total monthly cost, contract length, setup charges, and expected upload performance together.
Start with an address-level postcode check, shortlist suitable deals, then compare value over the full minimum term.