FTTP vs FTTC vs Leased Line: What’s the Difference?

Business broadband comes in several different forms, and the terminology can be confusing. Here’s a plain English explanation of the main options we supply, and how to choose the right one for your business.

FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet)

FTTC brings fibre optic cable to your local street cabinet, then uses the existing copper phone line to connect to your building. It’s widely available and more affordable than full fibre, but speeds can be inconsistent, particularly if you’re a long distance from the cabinet, and it’s a shared connection with other local users at peak times.

Best for: smaller businesses with modest bandwidth needs and a limited budget.

FTTP (Fibre to the Premises)

FTTP runs fibre optic cable all the way to your building, offering much faster and more consistent speeds than FTTC. It’s increasingly available across the UK as providers roll out full fibre networks, and is generally still a shared connection, but with far higher capacity.

Best for: growing businesses that need reliable, fast internet for cloud applications, VoIP calls and video conferencing, without the cost of a dedicated leased line.

Leased Line (Ethernet Internet)

A leased line is a dedicated connection exclusively for your business, not shared with anyone else. This means guaranteed speeds, symmetrical upload and download, and typically a service level agreement guaranteeing uptime and fast fault resolution.

Best for: businesses that depend heavily on their internet connection, such as those running critical cloud systems, VoIP across many users, or large data transfers, where downtime or slow speeds simply aren’t acceptable.

Which is right for you?

The right choice depends on your budget, how business critical your internet connection is, and what’s actually available at your location. We check availability and advise honestly on what will actually serve your business well, rather than upselling a leased line you don’t need.

Get started

If you’re not sure which connectivity option suits your business, get in touch for a free consultation and we’ll check what’s available at your location.

Arrange a free consultation