If you have shopped for broadband recently, you will have seen the words fibre, full fibre, FTTC, FTTP and SOGEA used in ways that are not always clear. They describe very different connections, and the difference can decide whether your broadband copes with a busy household or a working office. This guide explains each one in plain English so you know what you are being offered.
What is full fibre?
Full fibre, often written as FTTP (fibre to the premises), means a fibre optic cable runs all the way from the network to your home or business. There is no copper wire anywhere in the connection to your building.
Fibre optic cable carries data as pulses of light through thin strands of glass. Light travels through fibre with very little loss over distance, and it is not affected by electrical interference in the way copper is. That is why full fibre can support much higher speeds than older connections, and why speeds tend to stay steady whether you are close to the exchange or some distance away.
You may also see the term FTTH (fibre to the home). It means the same thing as FTTP for a house. For a business, you might see it described as business full fibre.
What is FTTC?
FTTC stands for fibre to the cabinet. Fibre runs from the exchange to one of the green street cabinets you see on the pavement. From the cabinet to your building, the connection uses the copper telephone wire that has served the property for decades.
For many years FTTC was sold simply as fibre broadband, which is why so many people believe they already have fibre. In reality, the copper section is the weak point of the connection:
- Distance matters. The signal weakens along copper, so the further your building is from the cabinet, the lower the speed you are likely to get.
- Interference matters. Copper lines can pick up electrical noise, and old or damaged wiring can cause drops and slowdowns.
- Weather can matter. Water getting into joints in older copper cable is a common cause of faults, particularly after heavy rain.
FTTC is still a workable connection for many light users, but it has a ceiling that full fibre does not.
What is SOGEA?
SOGEA stands for single order generic ethernet access. It is the name for broadband delivered over a copper line on its own, without a traditional analogue phone service bundled with it.
In the past, FTTC broadband always came with a landline, and you paid line rental whether you used the phone or not. With SOGEA, the line carries broadband only. If you want to make calls, you use a digital phone service that runs over the internet instead.
The important point is that SOGEA changes what is sold on the line, not the technology underneath. A SOGEA connection normally uses the same fibre to the cabinet setup as FTTC, so the copper section, and its limits, are still there. SOGEA is part of the move away from the old analogue phone network, which is due to be switched off by the end of January 2027. You can read more in our guide to the UK landline switch off.
Full fibre vs FTTC vs SOGEA at a glance
| Connection | How it reaches you | Phone line included | What limits it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full fibre (FTTP) | Fibre all the way to your building | No, calls use a digital service | Mainly your package, router and WiFi |
| FTTC | Fibre to the street cabinet, copper from there | Traditionally yes | Length and condition of the copper line |
| SOGEA | Usually fibre to the cabinet, copper from there, broadband only | No, calls use a digital service | Length and condition of the copper line |
Why the difference matters day to day
Speed you can rely on
With FTTC or SOGEA, two neighbours on the same package can get quite different speeds because one lives further from the cabinet. With full fibre, the distance problem largely disappears, so the speed shown for your address is much more likely to be what you see in practice, subject to your equipment and WiFi.
Upload speed
Copper based connections usually have a much lower upload speed than download speed. Upload is what you use for video calls, sending large files, backing up to the cloud and streaming out rather than in. Full fibre packages generally offer far more upload capacity. Our guide to symmetric and asymmetric broadband explains why that matters, especially for businesses.
Reliability
Because fibre is not affected by electrical interference and has no ageing copper joints, it tends to suffer fewer of the faults that plague older lines. No connection is fault free, but removing the copper removes a common cause of problems.
Future proofing
The copper network is being retired, and full fibre is being built to replace it. Choosing full fibre where it is available means you are not relying on a technology that is on its way out.
How do I know what I have now?
There are a few simple ways to tell:
- Check your contract or bill. Look for FTTP, full fibre, FTTC, SOGEA or superfast. If it just says fibre, it is often FTTC.
- Look at where your router plugs in. On FTTC and SOGEA, the router usually plugs into a phone socket on the wall. On full fibre, the router plugs into a separate box called an ONT (optical network terminal), which connects to a thin fibre cable.
- Ask your provider. They can tell you exactly which technology your line uses.
Can every address get full fibre?
Not yet. Full fibre networks are being built across the UK by several different companies, and availability is decided address by address. Two buildings on the same street can have different options depending on which networks have reached them. That is why we never promise availability for an area, and always check the exact address. If you are in our region, our guide to full fibre in the North East has more background, and our area pages cover local towns and cities.
What if full fibre is not available at my address?
If full fibre has not reached your building yet, a copper based connection may still meet your needs for now. For businesses that need guaranteed performance, a leased line runs a dedicated fibre to your premises and may be an option even where full fibre broadband has not arrived, although it is a different type of service, quoted after a survey and with a longer set up.
Check what your address can get
The simplest next step is to check your address. You will see the packages, speeds and prices available at your premises from the networks we work with. If you run a business, you can also look at our business full fibre options, and if you are at home, see our home full fibre packages. If you are not sure which is right, contact our team in Sunderland and we will give you honest advice.