Full fibre vs "fibre" broadband: what is the difference?
Most "fibre" broadband in the UK still uses copper for the last stretch. Full fibre does not. Here is what that means for speed, reliability and price.
If your broadband is sold as “fibre”, there is a good chance it is only part fibre. The word has been stretched to cover very different technologies, and the difference matters.
The two main types
| Part fibre (FTTC) | Full fibre (FTTP) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Fibre to the green street cabinet, then copper phone wire to your home | Fibre all the way into your home |
| Typical top speed | Up to about 80Mb | 100Mb up to 1Gb or more |
| Speed depends on distance | Yes. The further from the cabinet, the slower | No |
| Upload speed | Low, often under 20Mb | Much higher, sometimes the same as download |
| Reliability | Copper can suffer in wet weather and with age | Generally more reliable |
| Common names | “Fibre”, “Superfast”, “Fibre Essential” | “Full Fibre”, “Gigabit”, “FTTP” |
FTTC stands for fibre to the cabinet. FTTP stands for fibre to the premises.
There is a third type: cable broadband (Virgin Media’s older network). It uses coaxial cable for the last stretch and can also reach gigabit speeds. Virgin Media is upgrading much of it to full fibre.
Can you get full fibre?
Probably. According to Ofcom’s data for January 2026, 82% of UK homes can get full fibre, and 89% can get some form of gigabit-capable broadband. Coverage varies by nation, from 95% in Northern Ireland to 75% in Scotland.
The only way to know for sure is a postcode check. Full fibre is often available from several networks, not just Openreach. Smaller networks, known as alt-nets (alternative networks), can be cheaper.
Do you actually need it?
It depends on your household, not on the headline speed.
- One or two people, browsing and streaming: a good part-fibre line is often enough. But if full fibre costs about the same, take it for the reliability.
- Home working with video calls: full fibre’s higher upload speed makes a real difference.
- Several people streaming, gaming or backing up to the cloud at once: full fibre, comfortably.
Our guide to slow Wi-Fi is worth reading too. A faster line will not help if the Wi-Fi inside your home is the bottleneck.
The landline switch-off makes this more relevant
By 31 January 2027, home phone calls in the UK move onto broadband. If your phone will depend on your broadband, a more reliable connection is worth more. See the landline switch-off guide.
Watch the wording: if a deal says “fibre” without “full”, assume it is part fibre until the provider confirms otherwise.