Checking fibre broadband availability

Fibre to the Cabinet Broadband

Get gigabit-capable broadband that handles everything your household loves to do online. Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) from Openreach delivers impressive speeds and reliable connectivity for streaming, video calling, and everyday browsing - making it a great choice for busy homes across the UK.

What is Fibre to the Cabinet broadband?

Fibre to the Cabinet broadband, also known as FTTC, Superfast broadband, or VDSL, is a connection that uses fibre optic cable to connect Openreach's exchange to the green street cabinet near your home. From the cabinet, your connection travels the final stretch over traditional copper wire to your front door.

With download speeds of up to 76Mbps and upload speeds of up to 15Mbps, FTTC is one of the UK's most widely available broadband technologies, reaching 96% of the country. It's a significant step up from standard copper broadband and a solid option for households that love to stream, video call, and surf the web across multiple devices. It's worth noting that your speed may be affected by how far your home is from your local street cabinet.

Openreach engineer climbing a telegraph pole to install fibre to the cabinet broadband infrastructure

How does it work?

Fibre to the Cabinet broadband works by using two different types of cable to connect your home to the internet. Fibre optic cable carries your signal from Openreach's local exchange to the green street cabinet in your neighbourhood. From there, the connection continues to your home over the existing copper phone line.

This hybrid approach means you get the speed and resilience benefits of fibre for most of the journey, while relying on existing infrastructure for the final stretch. A connection box and router at your home handle the incoming signal and distribute Wi-Fi throughout your property. Because some of the journey still uses copper wire, your speed can vary slightly depending on the distance between your home and the cabinet - the closer you are, the faster your connection is likely to be.

Horizontal diagram showing how Full Fibre, Fibre to the Cabinet and Copper broadband connect from exchange through street cabinet to home

What to expect on the day of installation

Our engineer will arrive at your property at an agreed time to get everything set up quickly and safely. All you need to do is make sure someone is at home to let them in.

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Benefits of Fibre to the Cabinet broadband

FTTC offers a meaningful upgrade for homes that need more from their broadband. Faster than copper, widely available, and capable of handling multiple users at once - here's what makes it a popular choice for UK households.

Gigabit-capable speeds for streaming and video calling

With speeds of up to 76Mbps, stream, browse, and video call across multiple devices at once - no stuttering, no buffering. You can even download a full 4K movie in under 24 minutes.

A more reliable connection than copper

FTTC uses weatherproof fibre optic cable from the exchange to your street cabinet, making it significantly more reliable than a full-copper connection, with fewer dropouts throughout the day.

Widely available across the UK

FTTC is available to 96% of the UK, so whether you're in a city centre or a smaller town, there's a strong chance it's already at your address. Use our fibre checker to confirm availability.

How does it compare?

Fibre to the Cabinet sits in the middle of the Openreach broadband range - a significant step up from Copper broadband, while offering a more widely available alternative to Full Fibre where FTTP isn't yet available. With speeds of up to 76Mbps, it comfortably outpaces standard copper broadband (up to 21Mbps), making it far better suited for streaming, video calling, and multi-device households. Full Fibre, which uses fibre all the way to your door, delivers faster and more consistent speeds, but for households that don't need the very highest performance, FTTC is a reliable and capable option.

Comparison of home broadband options including Full Fibre, Fibre to the Cabinet and Copper with speeds and typical usage

What are the impacts of Fibre to the Cabinet broadband for me?

 Switching to Fibre to the Cabinet means a noticeable improvement in your day-to-day online experience. Video calls become cleaner, streaming smoother, and pages load faster, particularly compared to a standard copper connection.

FTTC also provides the bandwidth to keep everyone online without one activity disrupting another. If Full Fibre becomes available in your area in future, upgrading is straightforward and Openreach is extending its network to millions more homes across the UK.

Handles multiple users at once

A step up from copper broadband

Upgrade to Full Fibre when it reaches you

What does it mean for my phone line?

The PSTN is being retired in January 2027, affecting all copper-based services including FTTC. Your provider will be in touch about moving you to a digital phone line ahead of the deadline.

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Frequently asked questions

  • What is the difference between FTTC and Full Fibre broadband?

    FTTC uses fibre from the exchange to your street cabinet, then copper the rest of the way to your home. Full Fibre runs fibre optic cable all the way to your door, delivering faster, more consistent speeds with no copper in the connection at all.

  • Will FTTC be affected by the copper switch-off in 2027?

    The PSTN switch-off in January 2027 affects the telephone network, but the copper line from your street cabinet to your home will remain in service until Full Fibre reaches your area. Your provider will keep you informed about any changes that affect you.

  • How far can I be from the cabinet for FTTC to work well?

    Generally, the closer you are to your street cabinet the better. Speeds can start to drop noticeably beyond around 300–400 metres from the cabinet. If you're concerned about your distance, checking availability at your address will give you the most accurate picture.

  • Can I upgrade from FTTC to Full Fibre?

    Yes. When Full Fibre becomes available at your address, upgrading is a straightforward process through your provider. Openreach is currently rolling out Full Fibre to millions more homes - you can check availability or register your interest using our fibre checker.

  • Do I need a new router for FTTC broadband?

    Your provider will usually supply a compatible router as part of your package. Unlike Full Fibre, FTTC doesn't require an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) - the connection comes in through your existing phone line socket, and your router plugs in from there.

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