What is Full Fibre Broadband and Is It Worth It?
Full fibre broadband is being rolled out across the UK and promises faster, more reliable speeds than standard fibre. But what exactly is it and is it worth upgrading? Here’s everything you need to know.
In this guide
What is full fibre broadband?
Full fibre broadband — also known as FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) — is a type of broadband connection where a fibre optic cable runs all the way from the telephone exchange directly to your home. This is different from standard fibre broadband where the fibre cable only runs to a street cabinet and the final connection to your home uses the old copper phone line.
Because fibre optic cables carry data as light rather than electrical signals they can transmit significantly more data at much higher speeds — and are far less susceptible to interference and degradation over distance.
Important: Most broadband advertised as “fibre” in the UK is actually standard fibre (FTTC) — not full fibre. If your broadband comes through your phone line socket it’s almost certainly FTTC not FTTP. Full fibre requires a separate installation to bring a new cable into your home.
Full fibre vs standard fibre — what’s the difference?
Here’s a simple comparison of the two types of fibre broadband:
FTTP vs FTTC — what do these mean?
You’ll often see these technical terms used when comparing broadband deals:
FTTP
Fibre to the Premises
Full fibre. The fibre cable runs all the way to your home. Fastest and most reliable option.
FTTC
Fibre to the Cabinet
Standard fibre. Fibre runs to the street cabinet then copper to your home. What most UK homes currently have.
You may also see FTTH (Fibre to the Home) — this is essentially the same as FTTP, just a different way of describing the same technology.
Benefits of full fibre broadband
Much faster speeds
Full fibre offers download speeds up to 1Gbps — more than 10 times faster than standard fibre. Even entry level full fibre packages at 100-150Mbps are significantly faster than most standard fibre connections.
Better upload speeds
Standard fibre typically offers upload speeds of only 10-20Mbps. Full fibre can offer symmetrical or near-symmetrical upload speeds — crucial for video calls, cloud backups and working from home.
More reliable connection
Fibre optic cables are not affected by electrical interference, distance degradation or wet weather in the way that copper cables are. Full fibre connections are significantly more consistent and reliable.
Future proof
The UK government has committed to replacing all copper phone lines with full fibre by 2025 (though this target has slipped). Getting full fibre now future proofs your connection for years to come.
Lower latency
Full fibre has lower latency (ping) than copper-based connections — better for gaming, video calls and any real-time internet activity.
Is full fibre broadband worth it?
For most households yes — if full fibre is available at your address it’s worth upgrading. The speed and reliability improvements are significant and the price premium over standard fibre has shrunk considerably as the technology has rolled out.
Entry level full fibre packages (100Mbps) are now often available for a similar price to standard fibre — sometimes cheaper when introductory offers are factored in.
Upgrade to full fibre if:
✓ It’s available at your address
✓ You work from home
✓ Multiple people stream simultaneously
✓ You game online regularly
Stick with standard fibre if:
✗ Full fibre isn’t available yet
✗ You’re a light internet user
✗ Your current connection is fine
✗ Budget is very tight
Compare full fibre deals for your postcode
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Compare broadband deals →Is full fibre available at my address?
Full fibre availability in the UK is expanding rapidly but is not yet universal. Around 60% of UK premises can now access full fibre broadband — but availability varies significantly by area.
Cities and large towns generally have good full fibre coverage. Rural and remote areas are more likely to be waiting for the rollout to reach them.
The quickest way to check availability at your specific address is to use our broadband comparison tool — enter your postcode and it will show you which full fibre packages are available where you live.
What does full fibre installation involve?
Unlike standard fibre broadband which uses your existing phone line socket, full fibre requires a new fibre cable to be brought into your home. This means an engineer visit is always required for a first-time full fibre installation.
👷 Engineer visit — a trained engineer installs the fibre cable and a new wall socket called an Optical Network Terminal (ONT)
🕐 Time — typically 2-4 hours for a standard installation
🔧 Minor works — a small hole may be drilled through an external wall to bring the cable in. The engineer fills and makes good any holes made.
📦 New router — your provider supplies a new router that connects to the ONT
💰 Cost — installation is usually free or included in the package price. Some providers charge an installation fee — check before signing up.
Related guides
What broadband speed do I need? → Best broadband deals UK 2026 → How to switch broadband provider UK →Check if full fibre is available at your address
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Compare broadband deals →Written by the FastSwitch team · Last updated April 2026
FastSwitch is a free UK broadband comparison service. We may earn a commission when you switch via our site — this never affects the deals or prices you see.
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