Broadband or fibre? What’s the difference & which do you need?
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Want to know which is better, fibre optic or standard broadband?
Choosing between fibre optic and ordinary broadband may seem complicated, but luckily, we’re here to simplify things. We’ll break down the differences and help you decide which broadband will be enough to keep you streaming, gaming, browsing and working to your heart’s content.
Skip to a section:
- What is broadband?
- What is fibre broadband?
- What’s the difference between fibre and broadband?
- Is a fibre broadband connection better than a traditional connection?
- How have broadband connections changed?
- How to decide between ADSL broadband vs fibre
- Is it worth having fibre-optic broadband?
- Can I get fibre broadband?
Note: the copper switch-off is scheduled to happen in 2027. That means saying goodbye to copper landline technology. Find out if you’ll be affected by the copper switch off here.
What is broadband?
Broadband is a high-speed internet connection that’s always on. It replaced older dial-up services and makes it possible for a whole household to stream, browse, game, and download at the same time without everything grinding to a halt.
But hold on… what was dial-up?
Dial-up connected to the internet through your phone line, literally dialling a number to get online (like making a call). That came with a few… quirks:
- You couldn’t use the phone and the internet at the same time.
- It was slow (often around 56 Kbps, which is approximately 18 times slower than even 1 Mbps).
- It could drop out easily, especially if someone picked up the phone.
- It made that famous screeching noise while connecting.
Broadband solved all of that by providing a dedicated, higher-capacity connection.
So how does broadband connect you?
Broadband can reach your home or business in a few different ways, including:
- ADSL (over phone lines)
- Wireless (FWA) (delivered via radio signals, often in rural areas where cables are difficult to install)
- Mobile (4G) (delivered through mobile networks, ideal for homes where other broadband options aren’t available)
- Cable (via the same network used for TV services)
- Fibre (faster and usually more reliable) – which brings us to…
What is fibre broadband?
Fibre is a specific type of broadband that uses fibre-optic cables to transmit data as pulses of light. This technology allows for incredibly fast speeds and reliable connections, even during peak usage times. Unlike traditional ADSL broadband, which relies on copper phone lines, fibre is built for modern internet use like streaming, gaming, and video calls.
There are two main types of fibre broadband:
- Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP): A full-fibre connection that delivers lightning-fast speeds directly to your home or business.
- Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC): A part-fibre connection where fibre cables reach a street cabinet, and the remaining distance is covered by slower copper lines.
Note: If you’d like to know more, take a look at our blog post, FTTC vs FTTP.
What’s the difference between fibre and broadband?
The main difference between traditional broadband and fibre-optic broadband is in how the data transfers. Fibre-optic connections utilise specific fibre-optic cables that transmit data as pulses of light. This makes much higher speeds and greater bandwidth possible compared to traditional broadband, which typically relies on copper telephone lines.
Here are some of the major differences between fibre broadband and the good old classic broadband:
Speed and Performance
Fibre-Optic Broadband: Can deliver download speeds ranging from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps), fibre-optic broadband supports high-demand activities (like watching 4K movies on Netflix or online gaming) with minimal latency.
Traditional Broadband: Services like Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) offer average speeds of around 24 Mbps, with some cable broadband services reaching up to 100 Mbps. However, these speeds can fluctuate due to factors like distance from the exchange and network congestion.
Reliability
Fibre-Optic Broadband: Less susceptible to interference from electrical signals, weather conditions, and other environmental factors, fibre-optic cables provide a more stable and consistent connection. In other words, it can maintain performance even when the whole family or office is online.
Traditional Broadband: Connections using copper cables are more prone to signal degradation, especially over long distances, and can be affected by environmental factors. Its performance is, for these reasons, not consistent.
Availability
Fibre-Optic Broadband: While the availability of fibre-optic broadband has expanded significantly, especially in urban and suburban areas, it may still be limited in some rural or remote regions. You can use our fibre broadband checker to see if superfast fibre broadband is available in your area.
Traditional Broadband: Technologies like DSL are widely accessible, often available wherever there is a telephone line, making them more prevalent in areas where fibre-optic infrastructure has not yet been deployed. That said, copper cables are on their way out, while fibre cables are becoming more widely deployed. This means availability will shift in the coming years.
Note: there’s also a third option – fixed wireless broadband. If you’re not in reach of fibre-optic broadband, and DLS technologies are too slow for you, then our high-speed fixed wireless broadband could be the solution.
Tip: If you want to know what the difference is between broadband and WiFi, read our blog.
Is a fibre broadband connection better than a traditional connection?
Fibre broadband is the best broadband technology currently available to connect you to the internet. So yes, fibre is worlds apart from any other broadband connection you may currently have.
Bear in mind, though, that an important distinction to make is what type of fibre broadband package you have, as not all fibre broadband options are created equal.
FTTP broadband, also known as full-fibre broadband, uses fibre optic cables all the way from the exchange to your doorstep. Simply put, it’s the best broadband option available when picking a fibre package.
Meanwhile, FTTC broadband is a part-fibre connection which uses older copper broadband/telephone lines to make up the other part of the connection. This makes it much slower than the other fibre options.
All Airband fibre packages are FTTP, offering ultrafast speeds of up to 900Mbps (both upload and download).
It’s worth keeping in mind that any fibre package will always be better than a traditional ADSL broadband line, as even just having a part fibre connection is an improvement on copper cables.
How have broadband connections changed?
For years, “standard broadband” was ADSL, which was the only type of broadband available for most people. Of course, ADSL was a step up from dial-up internet. However, as life has moved on and more of our lives are taking place online, the demand for speeds and bandwidth has gone through the roof.
Nowadays, most people need more than just ADSL broadband to get what they need from their internet connection. The good news is that part-fibre broadband is now available to most people up and down the UK.
Even though this is a big improvement, it still isn’t enough for many people, and a full-fibre connection is the only way to meet the ever-growing needs and faster speeds of most households.
If you live in the UK, you may still be on a part-fibre part-copper connection, known as fibre-to-the-cabinet. Fibre brings the internet from the exchange to the nearest cabinet to you, and then copper phone lines feed the signal to your home. You can get speeds of up to 80Mbps with part fibre, which is pretty good, but only if you’re closer to the cabinet. Most people will only get less than half this speed on FTTC.
FTTP (fibre-to-the-premises), however, can deliver speeds up to 1Gbps and is a full fibre line all the way to your home. If your connection isn’t delivered through a phone line and is fibre, it will be FTTP. As of January 2025, more than 75% of UK premises have access to an FTTP connection.
Want to know more? Here are some resources:
How to decide between ADSL broadband vs fibre
Time to decide on your internet connection? Here’s what to consider:
1. Think about what speed you need
Different types of internet activity require different speeds. For example, if you only need to send the odd email, browse the internet on your mobile, or send a few WhatsApp messages, you’re not going to need a particularly fast download speed.
However, if you do a lot of streaming, gaming or video calling, you’ll definitely want to have a speedier connection for a better online experience.
If speed doesn’t really matter to you, and you only need the bare minimum, you might get enough with a standard broadband connection. However, if you need more than just a few Mbps, you’ll want to opt for fibre broadband.
2. Consider how reliable you need your connection to be
Some people need a reliable internet connection at all times of the day. This is especially true if you are trying to work or run a business online.
Imagine you’re on an important video call with a potential customer, and your connection suddenly drops out – nightmare.
Fibre is more reliable than other types of broadband, as each connection has its own dedicated line, and there is no fluctuation in speeds or service. Win-win!
3. Decide the bandwidth you need
Bandwidth is different to speed, as it talks about how much room you have on your connection at once. If you have lots of people using the internet at once, you are definitely going to need bigger bandwidth, whereas if there is just one sole user, bandwidth isn’t so much of an issue (that’s unless you need to use lots of devices at once, of course!)
Fibre broadband has a bigger bandwidth than traditional broadband. It is also an uncontended connection, which means that your broadband line is yours and yours alone, so you’re not sharing with anyone else on the network.
Traditional ADSL broadband is normally contended, which means that a lot of the time, you are sharing your line with your neighbours, and if you’re all online at once, you may run into issues such as slower speeds and drops in signal.
4. Decide if security is important to you
If privacy and security are important to you, you’ll want to go with the connection that is more difficult to compromise.
In this case, a fibre connection will be safer and more secure, as you have your own dedicated line. This is especially true when it comes to running a business when keeping information confidential is extremely important.
5. Set a budget
For some people, keeping costs low is more important than anything else.
If you’re on a strict budget, you may need to go for the cheapest option and sacrifice the speed and quality of service in return.
Normally, fibre is more expensive than other broadband options, but this is because of the higher cost of building a fibre network. With traditional broadband, the infrastructure is usually already there, so it’s just a case of connecting you up or switching your provider.
A fibre network however needs to be built from scratch, as it’s a new type of cable that needs to go in the ground.
Building the network costs the provider a lot of money, which can add to the upfront costs of fibre. That said, the more people that join the network, the more affordable it can be. And, once you’re connected, month-on-month costs can still be quite competitive.
Is it worth having fibre-optic broadband?
Yes, it is worth having fibre optic broadband, especially if being able to stream, game, work, and communicate without hassle is important to you.
Fibre broadband will definitely pay off and give you a more reliable connection than a standard broadband connection. Plus, it’s built for the future, too, so there’ll be no more switching to increase your speeds.
That said, not everyone can get FTTP, or even FTTC. If that includes you, Fixed Wireless Broadband, which uses radio signals instead of cables, can get you super fast broadband speeds without the need for a physical connection to the telephone or fibre network. Find out if you can get Fixed Wireless Broadband with Airband here.
Most modern users need a high-speed internet connection
Most people rely on their home broadband, which is now seen as a utility rather than a luxury. More people are working from home than ever and need a 24-hour reliable, ultrafast broadband connection to keep their lives up and running.
The main downsides to fibre broadband are that it may have a slightly higher upfront or monthly cost than traditional ADSL broadband, and it may take longer to get installed (especially if it’s a brand-new network).
In many cases, you should still be able to find an affordable fibre option, even as cheap as £33/per month.
So, the real question is, is choosing a slower, less reliable broadband option worth saving an extra few pounds each month? For most, the answer is no.
Have a look at our competitive fibre broadband packages here:
FAQs on broadband vs fibre
Is my broadband ADSL or fibre optic cable?
There is an easy way to work out if you have ADSL or fibre optic cable. If your broadband comes from the same line as your telephone cable, it uses copper in some parts and is likely to be ADSL broadband.
What is fibre internet?
Fibre internet is also known as fibre broadband or FTTP. It uses fibre optic cables to transmit data signals at the speed of light, almost. It’s much faster than ADSL or wireless broadband.
What is fibre-optic broadband?
Fibre optic broadband is simply another way of saying fibre broadband, fibre optic, or FTTP. It refers to the fibre technology.
Do I need fibre-optic broadband?
Yes, you need fibre optic broadband if you want a faster, more reliable connection than wireless broadband. Fibre optic broadband can get speeds up to 900Mbps.
Can I get fibre broadband?
If you’d like to find out if you can get faster broadband yourself, head over to our broadband coverage checker. Enter your postcode to see if you’re in range. Our broadband packages range from 150Mbps all the way up to 900Mbps.
With all our broadband packages, we’ll provide a free survey and free installation, too.
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