What is FTTC broadband and how does it work?

Fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) broadband is a type of internet connection that uses fibre-optic cables to carry data from the internet to a street cabinet near your home. From the cabinet, the connection switches to traditional copper telephone wires to reach your property and provide you with internet connection.  

FTTC broadband is faster and more reliable than older ADSL connections, which use only copper wires, but not as fast as full fibre (FTTP) broadband, which uses fibre all the way to your home. Since the final part of the connection still relies on copper wires, the speed you get can depend on how far your home is from the street cabinet.  

Still, FTTC broadband is widely available and is a popular choice for homes and small businesses that need a good balance of speed and affordability. 

FTTC broadband uses a mix of fibre-optic cables and copper wires to deliver the internet to your home. The fibre-optic cables carry data at high speeds from the internet provider to a street cabinet, allowing data to travel quickly over long distances without losing speed or quality. 

From the street cabinet, the connection switches to copper telephone wires, which run from the cabinet to your home. Copper wires are older technology and cannot carry data as fast as fibre-optic cables, which means the further your home is from the cabinet, the slower your internet speed might be. FTTC is still much faster and more reliable than older ADSL broadband though, which uses copper wires for the entire connection. 

To use FTTC broadband, you need a router that connects to your phone line and a service from an internet provider. Once everything is set up, the router sends the internet signal to your devices, allowing you to browse websites, stream videos, and play online games. This makes it a good option for people who need a fast and stable internet connection but don’t have access to full fibre (FTTP) broadband yet. 

Use our helpful postcode checker to see what type of broadband you can get in your area. 

The main difference between FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) and FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) is how far the fibre-optic cables go. While FTTC uses fibre cables only up to a street cabinet, FTTP brings fibre-optic cables all the way to your home, without using any copper wires. This makes it much faster and more reliable than FTTC, with speeds that can reach up to 1 Gbps or more.  

FTTP is the best option for high-speed internet, but it’s not available everywhere yet, and it can be more expensive to install. See our full comparison of FTTC vs FTTP to learn which is best for your home. 

Faster Speeds Than ADSL

FTTC broadband is much faster than older ADSL connections, which use only copper wires. The fibre-optic cables used in FTTC allow for higher speeds, making it easier to stream videos, play online games, and work from home without buffering or slow downloads. While not as fast as full fibre (FTTP), FTTC still offers a good balance of speed and affordability. 

Reliable Connection

Because FTTC uses fibre-optic cables up to the street cabinet, it provides a more stable and consistent internet connection compared to ADSL. Fibre is not affected by interference as much as copper wires, meaning you’re less likely to experience sudden drops in speed or connection issues. This makes FTTC a good option for people who need reliable internet for video calls, online learning, or everyday browsing. 

Widely Available

FTTC is available in most areas, making it a great choice for people who don’t yet have access to full fibre broadband. Since it still uses existing phone lines for the final part of the connection, it is easier and cheaper to install compared to FTTP.  

Cost-Effective

FTTC broadband is often more affordable than FTTP, making it a good middle option between slow ADSL and expensive full fibre. It provides good value for money, offering decent speeds at a reasonable price. For most households, FTTC is fast enough for streaming, gaming, and working online without the need for the highest-speed options. 

Slower Than Full Fibre (FTTP)

While FTTC is faster than ADSL, it is not as fast as FTTP (Fibre to the Premises). Since FTTC still uses copper telephone wires for the final part of the connection, speeds are limited compared to full fibre. This can be a problem for people who need ultra-fast internet for 4K streaming, large file downloads, or online gaming. 

Speed Drops Over Distance

The further your home is from the street cabinet, the slower your internet speed will be. This is because copper wires lose signal strength over distance, meaning homes that are far from the cabinet may not get the full advertised speeds. If you live in a rural area or far from the cabinet, your connection might be much slower and less stable than expected. 

Still Uses Copper Wires

Since part of the connection still relies on old copper telephone wires, FTTC can be affected by weather conditions, electrical interference, and wear and tear. This can sometimes cause connection drops or slower speeds, especially during bad weather or if the phone lines are damaged. 

At Virgin Media, we pride ourselves on delivering ultrafast and reliable broadband through our advanced network infrastructure.  

Unlike traditional FTTC that relies on copper wires from the street cabinet to your home, we use a combination of fibre-optic and high-speed coaxial cables to deliver speeds of up to 1Gbps (1000 Mbps) download speeds across the UK.  

We’re not stopping there. We’ve rolled out our full-fibre Gig2 broadband in over 2 million homes in suburban and semi-rural areas across the UK, including areas in Belfast, Cardiff, London and Glasgow.   

Gig2 is powered by the latest XGS-PON technology and operates on a full fibre network courtesy of nexfibre. It offers superfast download speeds of up to 2Gbps, allowing you to download video games, films, music and large files in seconds and can support 10Gbps speeds in future. 

We’re also introducing symmetrical download and upload speeds on our full fibre footprint across all product tiers – the first major UK provider to offer this as an optional add-on. If you’re in a full fibre area, you’ll be able to boost your connectivity with a major upload speed add-on and get symmetrical speeds so you can upload as fast as you can download.  

Can I get Virgin Media Full Fibre?

Let’s see! Whether Gig2 is available for you will depend on where you live and the specific infrastructure in your area. Use our helpful postcode checker to see whether you’re eligible for our full fibre broadband.  

The easiest way to check what broadband connections are available in your area is to use our helpful postcode checker. Just enter your postcode and you’ll see all of the broadband options you can get. 

If you’re still unsure, use our broadband speed test to see how fast your broadband is. Most FTTC broadband connections max out at Mbps download, so if your speeds are much higher (above 300 Mbps), you most likely full fibre or are on our superfast fibre network. 

If FTTP isn’t available, check to see if Virgin Media’s superfast fibre network is available in your area. We use a different network from FTTC, relying on a mix of fibre and high-speed coaxial cables instead of copper phone lines. This allows for faster and more stable speeds compared to FTTC, allowing for speeds of up to 1gbps and beyond. 

With our superfast fibre broadband packages, you’ll be able to enjoy smoother, lag-free gameplay when you’re online. Our speeds range from 100mbps to 1gbps and beyond, providing you with all the speed you need for a smooth connection.  

If you’re unsure what you need, check out all of our broadband deals and enter your postcode to see what’s available in your area.