FTTP Broadband: Everything you need to know

What is FTTP broadband and what does “FTTP” mean?

FTTP, or Fibre-to-the-Premises, is the next-generation, Single Order broadband service that offers unparalleled high bandwidths and stability to meet the digital demands for both business and residential users. This is due to the future-proof technology of full fibre cabling and light technology used to transfer data at high speeds from the local exchange all the way to the customer premises.

FTTP is a Single Order broadband solution that does not require a WLR connection, allowing you to provide IP services such as VoIP and other Over-The-Top (OTT) services, as you embrace the connectivity-first, digital future.

How fast is FTTP broadband?

FTTP offers download speeds of up to 1Gbps, enabling users to perform multiple online activities, on multiple devices, all at once, without experiencing slowdowns. It is also the most reliable broadband technology available.

Unlike copper-based broadband services, FTTP does not inherit signal loss due to distance or any environmental changes, such as degradation and noise interference, which can impact performance of the broadband service.

ADSL vs. FTTC vs. FTTP

User demand is set to increase as Openreach increase the rollout of full-fibre technology across the UK over the next five years. Whilst services like ADSL have enabled access to online content for over two decades, these solutions come with their fair share of problems, mostly due to the unreliability of using copper technology, which ultimately impacts the broadband performance.

To put the speed into context, ADSL offers a maximum speed of 20Mbps while FTTC offers speeds of up to 80Mbps, meaning FTTP is more than 12 times as fast as FTTC and 50 times faster than ADSL. But speed isn’t everything.

By utilising full fibre technology, FTTP offers much lower latency than other technologies, making it the ideal underlying connectivity solution for the future of voice communications, IP telephony. When relying on copper technology to support your IP voice calls, you are more likely to experience poor quality and dropped calls due to the quality of your connection, whereas reliable, full fibre broadband will all but eliminate these issues.

Where is FTTP available?

Openreach are currently rolling out full fibre connectivity across the UK, with a goal to reach 4.5 million premises by March 2021. Although availability is currently quite low compared to FTTC, which is available to 16.6 million premises, it’s important to remember that FTTP is the future-proof option to see you through the 2025 switch off of the PSTN, meaning your customers will need to move to FTTP once it becomes available in their area.

If your customers are currently asking you “Can I get FTTP broadband?” you can use the availability tool on the Openreach website, or speak to our team for a full list of available locations in your area.

What are the benefits of FTTP?

The PSTN Switch Off

The primary motivation to get your customers to switch to FTTP broadband is the 2025 deadline for the PSTN Switch Off. The upcoming withdrawal of the PSTN and ISDN, which support traditional broadband products run over copper telephone lines, marks a huge change in our industry, which will have a huge effect on every business in the UK that currently uses broadband or traditional telephony.

Every connection to the PSTN will be switched off by 2025, meaning anyone who has not yet transitioned to Single Order broadband will lose connectivity. While you might think 2025 is a long way away, Openreach have already made a lot of progress in the switch off, with the first Stop Sell coming into effect on 1st December 2020 for the Salisbury exchange. This means that any customers in a premise that has access to FTTP and is connecting to this exchange will no longer be able to place new orders for legacy broadband products that use copper telephone lines.

FTTP is the future-proof broadband solution. Once you have a full fibre connection to your premises, you won’t need to upgrade your broadband connection again; it is the best of the best. This will be a massive benefit to your business, as well as your customers’, because businesses who have an FTTP broadband connection are much less likely to switch suppliers, meaning you see a reduction in churn and are able to build trusting, long-term relationships with your customers.

Connectivity-first

Legacy broadband technology is built on top of the phone line, meaning to connect to the internet, users always needed a landline, whether they used it or not. WLR is costly, especially if you’re not using the phone, and requires regular upkeep due to the copper technology used, resulting in more downtime for broadband users.

When you switch to SO, full fibre broadband, you no longer rely on WLR to keep you connected, rather voice becomes the OTT solution, so you don’t have to pay for it if you’re not using it. With the majority of providers now shifting their focus to the future of broadband and voice, coupled with the rise of mobile, fixed voice minutes have fallen significantly in recent years.

Statista report that in 2019, the UK’s fixed voice call minutes amounted to just under 39 billion minutes, compared to 2009 when the volume of fixed voice minutes was 128 billion. While it may still seem quite high, the past decade has seen a decrease of almost 90 billion minutes per year, as businesses and consumers alike have shifted to mobile.

Who needs FTTP?

Ultimately, everyone. As previously mentioned, the withdrawal of the PSTN due to the degradation and interference on copper lines means that everyone needs to move to a SO solution that doesn’t rely on the PSTN by 2025. But even the SO replacement products that use copper technology separate from the PSTN are not completely future-proof, meaning eventually, everyone will need to be utilising FTTP.

By getting ahead of the game and embracing FTTP, you can increase business productivity with the future of connectivity, today.

When we think of business broadband, we often think of office buildings with rows of desks, hundreds of people connecting to the internet, but broadband is needed for so much more than that, by businesses who operate outside of offices and desktops.

FTTP will be a game changer for industries such as manufacturing, distribution, logistics and security with higher bandwidth, increase reliability and lower latency enabling it to process high volumes of data much quicker than other broadband services, optimising productivity and efficiency for businesses.

For residential use, FTTP offers huge potential. With the adoption of home working in addition to the family demands, your home broadband is likely under a lot of strain. Although 1Gbps may seem excessive, as most homes tend to cope with speeds of around 30Mbps, there are lower bandwidth options available with FTTP, often coming in at a more consumer-friendly price point.

With speeds of up to 80Mbps, this will be ideal for consumers whose reliance on connectivity is continually growing, with multiple devices connected to their broadband at one time, streaming video, online gaming and browsing the web, not to mention the increasing use of WiFi calling and video conferencing for personal use, with mobile apps such as WhatsApp and Facetime, all of which require a faster, more reliable broadband than legacy copper services.