Technologies

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What is superfast broadband
Technologies

There are several technology types that can deliver superfast speeds.

Fixed line broadband, which includes:

Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC)

This is the most widely available form of superfast broadband infrastructure in the UK, which uses the existing copper telephone network. Fibre is installed to a nearby telephone cabinet, connecting the remaining distance to each premises with the existing copper line.

Cable (hybrid fibre coaxial)

This is another prevalent form of superfast broadband infrastructure in the UK, where fibre is installed to a nearby cabinet and then segments of a coaxial copper network connect premises in the vicinity.

Fibre to the Premises (FTTP)

This is where optical fibre is run from the exchange all the way through to the premises, allowing for a very quick and fully future proofed internet connection. Speeds offered over FTTP are far above the national average - typically up to 1gbps - and very high upload speeds are also offered, which is particularly useful for businesses or those working from home.

There are cases that are harder to reach (less than 5% of premises) where fixed line superfast broadband can be extremely expensive, in these cases alternative solutions may be required:

Fixed Wireless

Fixed wireless broadband is a way of achieving connectivity in premises without the need for a physical (wired) connection. A small dish is attached to the side of the property, which can be paid for outright by the developer or rented by the consumer, and then links into a local transmitter which is connected to the fibre network spine. This can achieve very high speeds of up to 50-60Mbps.

Satellite

Satellite broadband is a way of achieving connectivity in premises, without the need for a physical (wired) connection. A satellite dish is installed onto the property, which can be paid for outright by the developer or rented by the consumer. A satellite internet package can then be bought by the consumer. There are no geographical limits on satellite broadband availability, but some considerations would need to be taken into account when developing the property to ensure that the satellite dish would not, for example, be under tree cover. One additional consideration to be aware of is that at any given data limit per month, satellite packages tend to currently be more expensive for consumers than fibre or fixed wireless packages.

ISP Review have published the following list of satellite providers.

ISP Review

Alternatives

There are now around 40 alternative broadband suppliers in the market, with around 30% operating in urban areas and 70% in rural areas. These alterative providers use the full range of technologies set out above. A full list of alternative suppliers by geographic area can be found at Annex D of the following Ofcom report:

Read the report

Check Coverage

To find what coverage is available to you, you could use one of the following tools to see what type of broadband is available in your area:

Check Postcode Level Broadband Performance and Coverage (thinkbroadband.com)

View broadband availability - Ofcom Checker title

For more information on who might be able to supply your connection, see our suppliers page.

Supplier Information