Blog Fibre vs Broadband – The Difference Explained

There are so many different options of broadband available these days, from a variety of different internet service providers. So it’s no wonder the broadband vs fibre debate is still relevant. 

This is especially the case when it comes to business internet solutions, as companies want to ensure they have the best possible connection and choice of network possible.

If you’re considering both for your business, check out our blog below where we’ll take a deep dive. Continue reading to find out the difference between fibre and broadband, the main options you can choose from, and which is best for your business…

Fibre vs broadband: the different options

Let’s check out the different options of fibre and broadband available to you:

Copper broadband (ADSL)

This form of broadband uses your copper telephone line to connect to the internet from a local telephone exchange. The green cabinets you see on streets and roadsides are the go-between. With this technology, the signal strength decreases over a distance. So the further away you are from a green cabinet, the slower the internet speed. 

Fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) 

In fibre-to-the-cabinet broadband, fibre-optic cables are used instead of copper telephone lines. They are similar in that the signal is sent from your local telephone exchange to the green cabinet on the roadside. But these glass fibre threads allow for much quicker and more efficient broadband signals. The connection between the green cabinet and your premises can be over an older copper telephone line, which is known as ‘partial fibre’ broadband.

Fibre to the premises (FTTP)

This latest fibre broadband technology skips out the roadside green cabinet and travels from the telephone exchange straight to your premises. This offers the fastest speeds and the best reliability, making it a suitable choice for business internet solutions for large businesses. This is commonly referred to as ‘full fibre’ broadband.

Broadband vs fibre: download speed

Let’s take a look at how these competitors handle themselves when it comes to download speeds. 

Availability of fibre vs broadband

Traditional copper broadband is widely accessible, meaning you can secure an ADSL connection almost anywhere in the country – as long as you have a telephone line. On the other hand, fibre broadband may still be limited in some rural or remote areas of the country as the infrastructure has not been put in place just yet. Fibre is expanding though and rapidly, meaning the availability will keep improving over time. Which is just as well, as copper cables will soon be on their way out entirely.

The end of ADSL networks…

After a long and established career battling to provide internet connections to the nation, ADSL networks will soon be no more. This is often referred to as the ‘copper switch off’, and facilitates BT and Openreach’s plan to shut down all of its copper broadband and telephone line networks by January 2027. 

They will be replaced by fibre broadband connections as the technology continues to roll out across the UK. So companies that use business internet for small businesses on ADSL lines will need to think about upgrading or changing their arrangement.

The revolution of full fibre vs broadband

With full fibre broadband, the online world is your oyster. Some of the fastest full fibre deals usually range between 900Mbps and 950Mbps, but you can get up to 1.5Gbps or more in some areas if you are lucky.

Advantages of full fibre 

The advantages of full fibre broadband include:

• Speed: Can be up to 13 times faster than the UK average connection speed. 
• Reliability: Unaffected by weather conditions and has a larger capacity for peak times.
• Consistent connection: It doesn’t matter how far away you are from the roadside green cabinet.
• Future proof: Full fibre is becoming the new standard for broadband in the UK.

If you’d like some more information about these benefits, take a look at our blog: 5 benefits of fibre broadband for your business. 

Fibre vs broadband: which is best?

Choosing between fibre or broadband will depend on a number of factors and considerations. To help you, we’ve broken it down below:

The need for speed: Browsing the internet or sending the odd email occasionally won’t need a particularly high internet speed. But if you’re an online gamer, avid streamer, or take lots of video calls, then the need for speed is much greater. It would make sense to opt for full fibre vs broadband.

Budget: Fibre broadband is usually more expensive than standard broadband. The infrastructure is already in place for ADSL lines, whereas with fibre, the infrastructure often has to be built from scratch. For many people, keeping costs low is more important than obtaining faster connection speeds. This may be a consideration for business internet solutions for medium-sized businesses.

Bandwidth in the bout: Do you have lots of different people or devices using your internet connection at once? If so, you’ll need a bigger bandwidth. Fibre broadband has a bigger bandwidth than traditional broadband. ADSL connections are also typically shared in your neighbourhood or locality, which means you may experience slower speeds if you’re all online together.

Reliability: One of the biggest differences in the fibre vs broadband comparison is how reliable the connections are. Fibre is more so, as each connection has its own dedicated line and is not shared in your locality as mentioned above. This means fewer fluctuations in connection speed and levels of service.

Extra defense: If security is of the highest importance to you – for example if you work from home, then you will want a broadband connection that is the most secure. A dedicated line is more difficult to compromise than a shared ADSL line. 

Here to help with all of your broadband or fibre enquiries

The team here at Infinitel are all experts in the industry with over a decade of experience under our belts. We’re more than happy to share the knowledge and expertise we have with you on the subject of fibre vs broadband.

If you’re considering fibre or broadband for your business premises, one of our team members will happily talk you through some of the services we offer here. We also have a range of other business solutions, such as our business mobile phone services and business phone packages.

To find out more about who we are and what we do, please do not hesitate to get in touch!