What is full fibre (FTTP) broadband?

Full fibre broadband is a new generation of internet connection that uses fibre-optic cables all the way from your provider to your home. Otherwise known as fibre to the premises (FTTP), full fibre doesn’t rely on any copper wires to connect you to the internet, allowing you to get speeds of up to 1Gbps and beyond – the UK’s fastest yet.

Full fibre broadband connections are only made up of fully fibre optic cables, so your connection doesn’t get slowed down by switching to copper phone wires on its way to your home. And since fibre-optic cables transmit data much faster than copper, it’s the fastest type of connection available today, making it great for families and anyone interested in streaming 4K video or online gaming.

Full fibre is easily upgradable too, so by the time households need faster speeds than 1 Gbps, the process of speeding up the network won't involve having to install anything new at your home. Once installed, you’ll be able to get as much speed as you need for years to come.

Full fibre broadband uses fibre optic cables to send data all the way to your home. These cables are made from very thin strands of glass or plastic designed to carry light signals over long distances and at ultrafast speeds, giving you super-fast internet for all the family.

Full fibre doesn't use any copper or phone wires either, so there’s no chance of any interference or slowdown from weather, electrical signals, or distance. And with no switch to a different set of cables, it’s a straightforward case of fibre cables connecting directly from your provider to your home.

The exchange might look something like this:

1.      The internet data need is received by your provider at its broadband exchange

2.     The data is sent via your provider’s full fibre-optic cable network

3.     The data arrives to your home and your router’s WiFi signal sends it to your device

The difference between full fibre vs part fibre broadband is how much of the internet connection uses fibre optic cables and how much relies on slower copper wires.

In part fibre, the fibre optic cables run only to a nearby street cabinet, and the last part of the journey to your home is completed using older, slower copper wires. With full fibre, the connection bypasses the street cabinet and uses fibre cables to connect straight to your building. This makes full fibre faster and more reliable than part fibre as it avoids many of the issues caused by copper wires by going direct to your home, such as interference or slowdown from weather, electrical signals and signal degradation.

Part fibre is still a good middle-ground option in areas where full fibre isn’t available, but it usually won’t be as fast or reliable. if you're unsure what's available in your area, use our helpful postcode checker to see what you can get.

1. Blazing fast speeds

Full fibre broadband can deliver download speeds of up to 1000 Mbps and even higher. This means you can download movies, games, or large files in seconds, stream videos in 4K or 8K without buffering, and enjoy a smooth online gaming experience. Whether you’re streaming, working from home, or browsing the web, full fibre means everything happens quickly and smoothly.

2. Unmatched reliability

Full fibre connections are incredibly reliable. They’re not affected by weather conditions, electric interferences or your distance to your internet provider’s data centre, so you can enjoy a stable and consistent connection even during peak usage times.

3. Fast internet even with multiple devices

If you live in a home where many people are online at the same time, full fibre is ideal. It can handle multiple devices streaming, downloading, and gaming simultaneously without slowing down, making it perfect for busy families, gamers, or anyone interested in ultrafast internet.

4. Future-Proof Technology

Full fibre broadband is designed to meet the growing internet demands of the future. As we use more data-heavy services like virtual reality, smart homes, and cloud computing, full fibre will be able to keep up without needing upgrades for a long time. It’s a long-term solution that ensures you won’t have to worry about outgrowing your connection.

Yes! Our full fibre Gig2 broadband is available in many suburban and semi-rural areas across the UK, including areas in Belfast, Cardiff, London and Glasgow. Use our helpful postcode checker to see if you’re eligible.

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, enabling you to download video games, films, music and large files in seconds. Those that sign up or upgrade to Gig2 will receive Virgin Media’s Hub 5x router – our first to support XGS-PON technology.

If you’re in a full fibre area, you’ll also be able to boost your connectivity with a major upload speed add-on, providing symmetrical speeds so you can upload as fast as you can download.

We’re also introducing symmetrical download and upload speeds on its full fibre footprint across all product tiers – the first major UK provider to offer this as an optional add-on. This technology has the capability to support 10Gbps speeds in future.

Let’s see! Whether full fibre broadband is available for you will depend on where you live and the specific infrastructure in your area.

You can use our online broadband postcode checker to see whether you’re eligible for our full fibre broadband. 

We’ll continuing to roll out our full fibre network across the UK, and full fibre is now available in 2 million homes across the UK. If full fibre hasn’t arrived in your area yet, take a look at some of our ultrafast gigabit broadband deals, which offer speeds that match many of the full fibre options other providers offer while costing you less.

Our Gig1 gigabit broadband offers download speeds of up to 1130 mbps and comes with our WiFi max guarantee, so you’ll always have the speed you need for your home.

Don't forget to take a look at all of our broadband deals to compare all of our packages so you can find what's best for your home.