Cable broadband uses a mixture of fibre-optic and coaxial cables to deliver broadband directly to your home.
An upgrade on copper telephone wires, it provides ultrafast speeds and doesn’t require a phone line. You don’t have to pay for line rental.
Virgin Media is the UK’s only cable broadband provider. It can deliver ultrafast speeds similar to full fibre, and is available to nearly 60% of UK homes.
How does fibre broadband work?
Fibre broadband uses bundles of fibre-optic cables to transfer data. They're made of glass or plastic, and information is passed through them as flashes of light. These flashes are interpreted by equipment at the receiving end of the signal.
For part-fibre connections, speeds slow down once the data arrives at the cabinet and copper takes over the rest of the way.
These copper phone lines have been used for decades to provide standard broadband, but they’re not very durable. They’re also affected by electrical interference so they aren’t good at transmitting data quickly or in large amounts. This makes the connection less stable, especially the further it has to travel.
How fast is fibre broadband?
Part-fibre services overtook ADSL connections several years ago. They provide average download speeds of 30-70Mbps. That’s usually enough for a household of people using the internet without poor load times and frustrating pauses.
Regulations have been put in place to make sure that broadband providers can’t make false claims about their fibre broadband. According to the Advertising Standards Agency, they can only advertise speeds customers can access 50% of the time.
You should get (at least) the speed estimated for the busiest times of day. These are 8-10pm for home services and 12-2pm for business services.
Why get full fibre broadband?
With speeds of up to 1Gbps and above in some cases, it’s a game changer if your online life is quite data-hungry. This could be if you’re in a big household with lots of devices connected, or if you do a lot of:
- Online gaming
- Video calls
- Streaming TV services like Netflix or Prime Video in multiple rooms at the same time
- Downloading high-definition movies
- Working with and downloading/uploading large files, such as high quality videos.
Full fibre speeds are often described as 'ultrafast' - an industry term that refers to speeds above 100Mbps.
It's faster than 'superfast' broadband, which is a speed often associated with part-fibre connections.
Part-fibre is widely available at 97% of the country, but its speeds are limited to about 70Mbps.
With ultrafast full fibre broadband, you could have dozens of devices in regular use. This includes:
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Smartphones
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Laptop and desktop computers
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Tablets
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Smart devices such as TVs, speakers, cookers, fridges and thermostats
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Games consoles
Even in large families or shared houses, ultrafast broadband gives everyone a high-quality online experience.
Openreach has also suggested that with more full fibre connections in people’s homes, 431,000 remote workers would be able to join the workforce. This could save 300 million commuting trips and 3 million car journeys.
It could also allow up to 270,000 people to move to less populated areas of the country, taking the strain off health and transport services.
When will I get fibre broadband?
Part-fibre (superfast) broadband is already available to 97% of the UK, so you likely have some form of fibre broadband already. Full fibre is still rolling out to properties across the country, both urban and rural, so it's currently available to just over 50% of UK homes.
You may still have a problem accessing fibre broadband services if:
- You live in a remote or rural area without fibre-optic cabling.
- You live too far from the nearest cabinet.
- You live in a built-up area and your nearest cabinet can’t take any more connections.
- Your property is too old to accommodate the necessary cabling.
When will I get full fibre broadband?
Precise dates aren’t typically available and different network providers are working at slightly different rates.
The UK’s copper wire network was first laid over 10 years ago. The government wants it all replaced with fibre-optic cables and the rollout is well underway.
As of 19 December 2023, 57% of UK homes had access to full fibre broadband, according to Ofcom. This has been growing at a pace of about 15 percentage points each year.
The next milestone is for 25 million premises (homes and businesses) to have full fibre access by 2026. The ultimate goal is a complete rollout across the country.
Is there an alternative to fibre broadband?
Yes. Depending on where you live, other options might be available. Here are the two most popular alternatives to fibre.
How do I switch fibre broadband providers?
Provided you’re out of contract, switching to a new fibre broadband deal is easy. Though you’ll likely still have to give your provider 30 days’ notice. If you’re still within the minimum contract period with your existing provider, you may have to pay an early termination fee.
The exceptions to this are:
- If you’re not getting the broadband speeds promised when you signed up. Providers working to Ofcom’s code of practice commit to delivering minimum download and upload speeds.
- If you’re still within the cooling-off period of a new contract.
- If your provider changes the terms of your contract part-way through.
- If your service is faulty.
- If you can negotiate a better deal.
Free to switch? Here’s what you need to do next.
- Contact the provider you want to move to and ask them for instructions. This is particularly important if you’re switching bundles – for example broadband and TV services.
- If your current and future provider both use the Openreach network, you can follow a ‘one-stop’ switching process. You don’t have to contact your current provider. Your new provider will do all the work for you. Both your current and new provider should confirm the switch in writing.
If you’re switching from or to an FTTP broadband service, or away from Openreach, you need to cancel the service with your current provider first. Contact both providers to let them know.
How do I choose a fibre broadband deal?
Fibre broadband is all about getting better speeds and reliability. Working out your usage is the first step.
- Your monthly bills should show you the broadband package and average internet speed you pay for. Log into your account online or call your broadband provider.
- Do an online speed test to get the exact speed. There are loads of options online. Then decide if you need more or less.
You should also think about:
- How much you want to pay.
- Contract length.
- Whether you should add a TV or home phone service.
- Do you want security software? This is usually included in broadband packages.
- Is this for personal use or business use? Compare business broadband deals.
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