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Fibre to the premises (FTTP) broadband explained
How to get FTTP and how to find the cheapest deals
Almost 10 million households can get what's known as fibre to the premises (FTTP) broadband, which is touted as more reliable than standard fibre and can offer speeds 30 times faster. We take a look at what FTTP is, if you can get it and how to switch and save.
This is the first incarnation of this guide. If you've any feedback, please let us know in the Fibre to the premises (FTTP) broadband MSE Forum thread.

What is fibre to the premises (FTTP) broadband?

Fibre to the premises (FTTP), also known as ultrafast full fibre broadband, involves laying fibre optic cables directly from the broadband exchange right into your home. It can offer speeds of up to 1,000Mb (megabits per second) – around 30 times faster than standard fibre.
It's available to 33% of households right now, with a target of reaching around 85% of households by December 2026. Most homes are instead connected via what's known as fibre to the cabinet (FTTC), which involves running fibre cables from the exchange to a box on the street, with copper wires connecting your home to the box. This offers speeds of up to 80Mb and is available to 96% of UK homes.
The slowest speeds of around 10Mb come from ADSL, which is available to 98% of homes, and only uses copper wires.
See how it works below, and our Broadband Unbundled tool for the top deals across all speeds.

Can I get FTTP broadband?
Openreach runs the largest FTTP network, so we've mainly focused on that here. It's currently available to eight million households – to check if you can get it, use its availability checker (note, it refers to FTTP as full fibre). It'll also tell you if you already have FTTP and the maximum speeds available to you.
If you can get it, you'll then need to find an FTTP provider – see how to find the cheapest FTTP deal. Your provider will need to come round and complete the installation for you, but there shouldn't be any extra costs on top of the usual set-up fees and monthly payments.
If you can't get it just yet, Openreach will tell you if it's likely to be installed in your area soon. It has a roll-out plan in place and aims to reach 25 million properties by December 2026.
There are smaller alternative networks (also called AltNets) that are laying their own cables, but only in very specific areas. For these, it is best to keep an eye on your local news and adverts.
Consider if you really need the fastest speeds
Remember though, just because you can get ultrafast speeds, it doesn't mean you should – as generally the faster the speed, the higher the cost. Standard (10/11Mb) broadband is usually fine for browsing or light streaming for one person, so don't pay more than you need to. Yet if multiple people use the broadband at the same time, or you're a gamer, it's likely worth shelling out for faster speeds.
Can I still switch providers if I have FTTP?
Yes, if you're out of contract you can easily switch to another provider that supports FTTP, providing it is on the same network (the majority of the biggies, including BT, Sky and TalkTalk, run on the Openreach network).
If your home already supports FTTP, it just means you have the technology that supports 'ultrafast' speeds, but you're not limited to ultrafast packages only. You can have FTTP and still choose to sign up to a standard fibre (around 30Mb) package. It just means it'll be provided to you purely over fibre cables, which should make it more reliable.

If you live on a new-build development, chances are you'll have FTTP (via either Openreach, Hyperoptic or another full fibre network), or a cable service that offers ultrafast speeds, such as Virgin Media. As a result, there won't usually be any existing copper network in place, so you'll be limited in the choice of broadband provider you can have.
We sometimes hear from MoneySavers saying they've been told they are locked to one broadband provider and unable to look around for cheaper deals, but we checked with the biggest housebuilders who told us this should not be the case. Barratt, Redrow, Belway and Taylor Wimpey all told us that depending on the network installed (for instance, Openreach), the new homeowner can choose any internet provider that's supported by that network, and you won't be restricted on choice. And as more providers now offer FTTP over the Openreach network, that should become less of an issue if that's your network.
However, if you have Hyperoptic or Virgin Media running to your property, then unfortunately your choices will be even more limited, mostly to that provider – until another network opts to install fibre on your development.
Do let us know if you have any issues by emailing unbundled@moneysavingexpert.com.
How can I find the cheapest FTTP deals?
Enter your postcode into our Broadband Unbundled tool to compare FTTP deals. Our tool covers all the major FTTP providers, including BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone and Zen. Our tool will compare deals across all of the speeds available to you based on your postcode.
However, as FTTP availability is growing all the time, we have to rely on firms letting us know when it has been rolled out to a new area (which often takes months), so there may sometimes be a lag in showing a particular provider or package in postcodes that have recently had FTTP installed.
Have your say in our forum!

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