Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) will be bidding a final farewell to homes and businesses by the end of 2025 to enable new technologies to prosper in this advancing digital age. Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) is one of the worthy contenders in line to replace FTTC for good. But before any decisions are made, understanding the difference between the two broadband solutions is a solid starting point to make the right call for your business.
Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC)
FTTC broadband uses fibre optic cables to connect the exchange to the local cabinet. It then utilises copper cabling to pass data from the cabinet to the premises and voice data back to the exchange. Since FTTC utilises traditional copper wire to communicate voice data back to the exchange, it will become obsolete with the retirement of the PSTN. However, the stop sell on September 5, 2023, will mean the purchase of FTTC products after this cut-off date will be impossible.
This is why customers are being advised to take action now and upgrade to an alternative future-proof solution to avoid communication and connectivity issues when the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is permanently powered down. Switching now, will not only save you money, but it will also eliminate the concern of your business being stuck in a communications blackout when FTTC eventually retires.
Fibre to the Premise (FTTP)
FTTP is technology that delivers seamless internet access to your location by running fibre-optic cables directly from the exchange site into your business. Unlike copper wires which disintegrate over time, fibre cables are much more resilient.
FTTP has the capacity to provide faster speeds, up to 1gb/s, which is ideal to complete tasks seamlessly– whether that’s to upload and download files to your server, attend virtual meetings, or collaborate with team members on heavy projects without breaking a sweat..
Your next move to All IP
To better understand what products will be retiring with the PSTN Switch Off and what solutions will be replacing them, please download our new, completely free, Journey to All IP magazine here.
