Full fibre vs FTTC vs cable vs 5G home broadband
In short: Full fibre (FTTP) runs fibre all the way to your property and typically offers the highest speeds and symmetric uploads. FTTC uses fibre to the cabinet and copper to you—speeds depend on distance. Cable (e.g. Virgin Media) uses its own network and can offer fast downloads. 5G home broadband is wireless and can be very fast where signal is good. What you can get depends on your address.
Full fibre (FTTP)
Full fibre means the fibre optic cable runs right to your home (or building). Often called FTTP or fibre to the premises. Speeds can go from tens of Mbps up to 1 Gbps or more. Upload speeds are often symmetric or close to it, which helps video calls and working from home. Availability is growing; check at your postcode.
FTTC (fibre to the cabinet)
FTTC brings fibre to the street cabinet, then uses copper from the cabinet to your home. Download speeds are typically up to about 80 Mbps, often less the further you are from the cabinet. Upload is usually much lower than download. Still the most widespread “fibre” product in the UK for many areas.
Cable
Cable broadband in the UK is largely provided over Virgin Media’s (and similar) network. It’s a separate physical network from Openreach-based fibre and copper. Speeds can be high (hundreds of Mbps) but availability is limited to cabled areas. See our glossary entry on cable.
5G home broadband
5G home broadband uses the mobile network with a router in your home. Where 5G signal is strong, speeds can match or exceed many fixed lines. It’s useful where fixed options are poor or slow to install. Performance depends on signal strength and congestion; latency may be higher than full fibre.
How to see what you can get
Use a postcode checker. BroadbandSwitch.uk and BroadbandMap.org.uk help you see what’s available and how your area compares. Always confirm with the provider at your exact address.