Whenever you hear someone talk about getting a new phone or TV, you’re bound to have a few bursting questions – what’s the camera like? Does it feel like you’re at the cinema? When can I come round and enjoy them?!
And with our full-fibre broadband network expanding all the time in rural East of England, you’re probably hearing more and more about the benefits of full-fibre broadband. Hand-in-hand with common acronyms such as WFH and Hollywood streaming; it is rapidly becoming mainstream.
But currently, most of us still have Superfast broadband, also known as Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC), which relies on slow, unreliable Victorian copper cables that can’t keep up with modern life. Fibre-To-The-Premises (FTTP) infrastructure is replacing part-copper ‘Superfast’ networks.
So here are six questions you’ll likely ask a friend or family member who gets connected to full-fibre – and we’ve revealed the answers to save you time.
1. What internet speeds do you get?
Answer: Anything I want!
Well, up to a limit, for now – albeit a huge limit. Full-fibre delivers fibre cables directly into your premises to provide gigabit speeds – that’s 1,000 Mbps – which are around 11 times faster than the current UK average.
And did you know that your full-fibre speeds can be upgraded to 10,000 Mbps and beyond in the future?
So ultimately, the lightning-fast speeds and bullet-proof reliability that any full-fibre package offers depend on your exact needs and desires. We offer some very competitive deals and offers which our community teams will explain to you if you’re in our rollout area – check here.
2. What’s it like in the evenings?
Answer: Just as good as the morning! 24/7 bliss.
“What about in the evenings when office workers return home and start streaming Netflix, combined with ‘America waking up’ and slowing down the network further.”
This might be the next question you ask. But actually, the FTTP network is impervious to rush hour disruption – it’s consistently delivering Hyperfast speeds with no peaks or troughs and fantastic reliability.
That means you can relax, knowing you can enjoy a day off with your streaming or gaming favourites, or not having to worry about your evening work call being disrupted by neighbours.
3. Can you stream in 4K on Netflix and Sky Sports?
Answer: 1-0 to full-fibre!
Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+ and all the other streaming giants recommend at least 25Mbps download speeds to enjoy sumptuous 4K or Ultra HD that take your sofa into the cinema and transform your living room into the stadium.
As a reminder, Ultra HD is four times better than HD – and we all remember the vast difference that HD made to ‘normal viewing’. Your copper network won’t support the greater clarity and detail – at least not in typical family homes or WFH apartments with multiple strains – but full-fibre will.
With broadband speeds of over 1,000Mbps, you’ll comfortably stay ahead of the game.
4. I bet your broadband grinds to a halt when it rains!
Answer: No soggy bottoms here!
One major draw-back with Superfast copper networks are adverse weather conditions, which poses an Achilles heel for those wishing to stream at their normal rate during those inevitable Great British downpours, low temperatures or thunderstorms.
Due to the Victorian technology – admirable for its time – your service is likely to drop because copper conducts electricity. When the water seeps through the underground labyrinth of cable traps and wires and coverings, it interferes with the electric signal and causes your video call to drop out or buffer at the worst-possible moment.
Full-fibre on the other hand remains unaffected by weather, and this is due to the fibre optic technology which sends light beams down the thin strands of the glass cabling, rather than electric signals.
So along with your wristwatch and smartphone, your full-fibre is also weather-resistant…
5. Will my gaming experience improve with full-fibre?
Answer: Yes – you’ll go from novice to expert in no time!
First of all, there are the download times to consider. On a Superfast connection, a 60GB game can take over three hours to download – and that’s if there are no cut-outs. Even if you are blessed with such patience, each update will likely require another hour of your time.
With full-fibre, needless to say, that you’ll be hunting down monsters or topping the FIFA league in no time with zero lags and the fastest, and most stable, speeds among your mates – even if someone joins you in multiplayer mode on your couch.
And even your gameplay is likely to improve with faster response times and improved graphics. If it doesn’t, maybe brush up on your skills in single player mode.
6. How do you boost upload speeds?
Answer: You don’t need to – uploads are just as good as downloads
For the past two decades, internet users have had to sacrifice the ability to upload data to get barely passable download speeds. Typically, upload speeds are around one tenth of download speeds for anyone on a Superfast copper connection.
But you get the complete opposite with full-fibre – a mirror reflection of today’s needs.
With full-fibre, your uploads speeds are just as Hyperfast and reliable as your download speeds. So you don’t have to wait for an age to ‘drag and drop’ when transferring files to the cloud – improving productivity across the region and lowering blood pressure at the same time.
You can be the first to react on TikTok or Instagram too with selfie videos or glossy photos. It makes such a dramatic impact on your everyday broadband life.
We’re well underway with our rollout of full-fibre broadband – free from copper – across the East of England. Click here to find out if we’re coming to your village and see how you can help digitally future-proof your community.
