- FTTC brings fibre to the green street cabinet, then uses the existing copper line for the final stretch to the home.
- FTTC uses VDSL2 technology, which Openreach commonly offers in tiers up to around 80 Mbit/s download and 20 Mbit/s upload.
- Like copper broadband, FTTC speed falls with distance, but the relevant distance is from the cabinet rather than the exchange.
- Ofcom classes connections of 30 Mbit/s and above as superfast, a tier that most FTTC lines can reach.
- FTTC is a part-fibre product and is gradually being replaced by full fibre (FTTP) as Openreach builds out its network.
FTTC runs fibre to the street cabinet and copper for the last stretch to the home. It commonly reaches up to about 80 Mbit/s, depends on distance from the cabinet, and is slowly being replaced by full fibre.
Last reviewed: June 2026
How FTTC works
FTTC stands for fibre to the cabinet. It improves on older copper broadband by running a fibre line from the exchange to the green street cabinet that serves a neighbourhood. From the cabinet, the connection still uses the existing copper telephone line to reach each home. Because the fibre carries the signal most of the way, the slower copper section is much shorter than under ADSL, which allows considerably higher speeds.
The technology used over the copper section is called VDSL2. It packs more data onto the line than ADSL by using a wider range of frequencies, and Openreach offers it in speed tiers. The cabinet contains powered equipment that converts between the fibre and the copper, which is why FTTC cabinets are larger than the older passive cabinets.
Why distance from the cabinet matters
FTTC removes most of the distance penalty that affected ADSL, but not all of it. The copper run from the cabinet to the home still weakens the signal, so the closer a property is to its serving cabinet, the higher the achievable speed. A home a short distance from the cabinet may reach the top tier, while a home several hundred metres away on a long copper drop may see noticeably less.
This is why the relevant question for FTTC is the distance from the cabinet, not the exchange. Two homes served by the same cabinet can record different speeds depending on the length and quality of their individual copper lines.
| Distance from cabinet | Typical download | Typical upload |
|---|---|---|
| Very close (under 100 m) | Up to about 80 Mbit/s | Up to about 20 Mbit/s |
| Close (around 300 m) | About 50 to 65 Mbit/s | About 12 to 18 Mbit/s |
| Medium (around 700 m) | About 30 to 45 Mbit/s | About 8 to 12 Mbit/s |
| Far (over 1 km) | Under 30 Mbit/s possible | Under 6 Mbit/s possible |
FTTC speed tiers
Openreach commonly provides FTTC in tiers, with the higher tier offering up to around 80 Mbit/s download and 20 Mbit/s upload for homes close enough to the cabinet. Lower tiers exist for slower packages. The advertised speed a provider quotes is based on the line estimate for the specific address, which reflects the copper distance and line quality.
Most FTTC lines comfortably reach the Ofcom superfast threshold of 30 Mbit/s, which is why FTTC formed the backbone of the UK superfast rollout for many years before full fibre became widespread.
How FTTC differs from full fibre
The key difference is the final connection. FTTC uses copper for the last stretch, which limits speeds and keeps the distance sensitivity. Full fibre, or FTTP, runs fibre all the way into the home, removing the copper section entirely. As a result, full fibre can offer far higher and more consistent speeds, symmetric options, and greater reliability, because there is no copper to degrade or pick up electrical interference.
For a household, the practical effect is that FTTC speeds top out at around 80 Mbit/s in most cases, while full fibre can offer hundreds of megabits or a full gigabit. The two are sometimes both marketed using the word fibre, which is why it helps to check whether a product is part fibre (FTTC) or full fibre (FTTP).
Finding your cabinet and checking availability
The serving cabinet is usually one of the green roadside cabinets near a property, though the one that serves a given home is not always the nearest in a straight line. An availability check against the Openreach or Ofcom databases returns the estimated FTTC speed for an address, which reflects the copper distance without needing to identify the cabinet by eye.
The estimate a checker returns is usually given as a range rather than a single number, because line conditions vary. Providers that follow the relevant Ofcom code of practice quote a personalised estimate and a minimum guaranteed speed before a contract begins, based on the line to that specific address. This is more useful than the generic headline figure, because it accounts for the copper distance and the quality of the individual line.
Getting the most from an FTTC line
Because the copper section is fixed by where the cabinet sits, the main way to protect FTTC performance is to look after the in-home setup. Connecting the router at the master socket, using the supplied faceplate where one is fitted, and avoiding long runs of poor internal extension wiring all help the line reach its potential. WiFi factors such as router placement and interference can also mask the true line speed, so a wired test from the router gives the clearest measure of what FTTC is delivering.
Where an FTTC line falls short of its estimate and the in-home setup is sound, the fault may lie in the external line, which is Openreach territory rather than the household. Reporting persistent underperformance to the provider allows the line to be tested and, where eligible, may trigger the right to exit if the minimum guaranteed speed is not met.
FTTC also tends to be more stable than older ADSL because the copper run is shorter and the fibre carries the signal most of the way. This usually means a more consistent speed through the day and less sensitivity to line noise, although the copper section still leaves FTTC short of the consistency that full fibre provides. For many households FTTC has been a significant step up from ADSL, supporting multiple streams and home working that the older technology struggled with, which is why it became the workhorse of the UK superfast era before full fibre began to take over.
Will FTTC be switched off
FTTC is a transitional technology. As Openreach builds full fibre across an exchange area, it introduces stop-sell milestones after which new copper-based and part-fibre orders can no longer be placed, and customers move to full fibre. The analogue telephone network is also being withdrawn, with the switch-off scheduled around the end of January 2027. Over time this means FTTC will be progressively replaced, although the pace depends on local full fibre rollout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is FTTC the same as full fibre?
No. FTTC is part fibre: fibre runs to the street cabinet and copper covers the final stretch to the home. Full fibre, or FTTP, runs fibre all the way into the property. Full fibre offers higher and more consistent speeds because there is no copper section to limit performance.
How fast is FTTC broadband?
Openreach commonly offers FTTC up to around 80 Mbit/s download and 20 Mbit/s upload for homes close to the cabinet. Actual speeds depend on the length and quality of the copper line from the cabinet, so homes further away see lower figures.
How do I find my broadband cabinet?
The serving cabinet is usually one of the green roadside cabinets near the property, though it is not always the nearest one. An availability check against the Openreach or Ofcom databases returns the estimated speed for the address, which reflects the cabinet distance.
What is superfast broadband under Ofcom definitions?
Ofcom classes broadband with a download speed of 30 Mbit/s or more as superfast. Most FTTC lines reach this threshold, which is why FTTC underpinned the UK superfast rollout for many years.
Will FTTC be switched off?
FTTC is being replaced by full fibre over time. Openreach applies stop-sell milestones as full fibre is built in an area, and the analogue telephone network is scheduled to switch off around the end of January 2027. The pace of change depends on local full fibre rollout, so a household may keep FTTC for some time or be invited to move to full fibre once it is available at the address. Providers contact affected customers before any change is made.
