Fibre Optic Broadband | Types, Benefits, Best Deals & More

What Is Fibre Optic Broadband?

This broadband supply uses fibre optic cables in place of copper telephone wires. A fibre optic cable comprises fragile glass fibres through which data is transferred using laser light travelling at the speed of light.

Thanks to fibre optic broadband, superfast, ultrafast, or even hyperfast internet access is available in your house. Performance is more than ten times faster than traditional phone line broadband, making it much faster.

What Types Of Fibre Optic Broadbands Are Available?

No formal definition can inform customers of the precise speed at which they should anticipate their broadband. However, it is safe to expect that high-speed fibre broadband will be quicker than regular broadband.

The types of fibre optic broadband available include:

Superfast broadband

This refers to internet connections that are fast enough to be between 30Mbps and 100Mbps.

Ultrafast broadband

This type of broadband comes with speeds of over 100Mbps. Ofcom describes it as 300 Mbps; most Internet Service Providers (ISPs), like BT, Virgin Media, Vodafone, TalkTalk, and EE, offer ultrafast fibre.

Full-fibre broadband

Otherwise known as Fibre To The Premises (FTTP), it offers speeds of up to 1Gbps.

Gigabit broadband

This can only be available through FTTP. It is the fastest broadband connection and can reach speeds of up to 1 Gbps or more.

Do You Need A Landline For Fibre Optic Broadband?

Most broadband connections use copper telephone wires to send and receive data. However, this is only valid for connections using traditional ADSL and Fiber To The Cabinet (FTTC) technology.

Three other types of broadband connections do not rely on telephone network wires to deliver data and are hence not landline dependent. These include:

Fibre To The Premises (FTTP) broadband

This full fibre broadband eliminates the need for copper telephone lines by using fibre optic cables directly from the telephone exchange to your premises. This makes a landline not required.

Mobile broadband

This is positioned to become the most accessible way to go online without a landline as 5G rolls out across the UK. However, its current limitations include availability, network bandwidth, and signal quality affecting the speed.

Cable broadband

Virgin Media provides several broadband-only rate options. This has an average speed of 108Mbps and 516 Mbps, but this option is not yet available nationwide.

How Much Does Fibre Optic Broadband Cost In The UK?

For a fibre optic broadband package, you can typically expect to spend between £20 and £35 a month. However, this varies depending on several variables, including speed, provider, contract length, etc.

Due to continual competition among providers to gain an advantage and attract more customers, fibre internet prices constantly fluctuate. This is excellent news for you since new offers are constantly available.

Broadband comparison websites offer customers the choice of comparing the best deals around where they live.

Which Providers Offer Fibre Optic Broadband?

You can get fibre from:

• BT;
• Virgin Media;
• EE;
• Hyperoptic;
• John Lewis;
• Sky;
• NOW Broadband;
• Kom;
• One stream;
• Vodafone;
• Plusnet;
• Shell Energy;
• TalkTalk;
• Zen Internet;
• Gigaclear.

Best Fibre Optic Broadband Deals

BT deals

• BT deals include Superfast Fibre 1 and Superfast Fibre 2;
• Speed guarantee;
• Broadband hub;
• Excellent service;
• Broadband security.

Hyperoptic deals

• Fast, Superfast, Ultrafast and Hyperfast broadband;
• Broadband with speeds of up to 1Gbps;
• Price match guarantee;
• Incredible service.

Vodafone deals

• Vodafone offers Full Fibre broadband with average speeds of up to 910 Mbps;
• Pro broadband with reliable WiFi;
• Unlimited broadband usage with landline included.

Sky deals

• Sky offers Superfast, Ultrafast, and Gigafast broadband;
• Average speeds of up to 900Mbps;
• Speed guarantee;
• A wall-to-wall WiFi guarantee.

Shell Energy deals

• Superfast, Ultrafast, and Full Fibre broadband;
• Broadband with average speeds of 900Mbps;
• Competitive prices with no activation charges.

TalkTalk deals

• TalkTalk deals include Fibre 65fast streaming and gaming broadband;
• Fibre 150 ultrafast broadband;
• Free TalkTalk to TalkTalk calls;
• A free WiFi hub.

Plusnet deals

• Plusnet offer Unlimited and Unlimited Fibre Extra broadband;
• Full Fibre broadband with average speeds of up to 500Mbps;
• Easy switching service.

Why Can’t I Get Fibre Broadband Deals?

Numerous factors can prevent a property from receiving a fibre optic broadband connection. These can be:

• The topography surrounding makes it challenging to lay fibre cables, such as mountains, lakes, and islands;
• You’re living in the middle of a large city centre where providers can’t break up the pavement to put cables;
• If you reside in a purpose-built apartment, installing a fibre connection in each unit may be challenging.

If you can still not get fibre optic broadband, help is on its way. 4G or 5G mobile broadband offers speeds comparable to fibre if you have a mobile internet signal at home.

Why Should I Upgrade My Broadband To Fibre Optic?

• Offers more outstanding performance and remarkable speeds with no break;
• It is connected directly to your house;
• It never disappoints;
• There are five times fewer failures in fibre optic broadband connections than in copper ones.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Fibre Optic Broadbands?

• The availability of fibre optic broadband;
• The cost of fibre optic broadband when compared to traditional ADSL broadband.

Conclusion

In summary, fibre optic broadband is recommended for the majority of homes. This is because it offers more outstanding performance and remarkable speeds than regular broadband. While it is currently costlier than regular broadband, searching for the best deals offers households the opportunity to enjoy ultrafast broadband at an affordable price.