What is FTTC? – Fibre to the Cabinet
FTTC stands for Fibre to the Cabinet.
Fibre to the cabinet is a connectivity technology that is based on a combination of fibre optic cable and copper cable. The fibre optic cable is in place from the local telephone exchange to a distribution point (commonly called a roadside cabinet), hence the name fibre to the cabinet. From this distribution point a standard telephone line based on copper is then used to deliver the broadband connectivity.
What speeds does FTTC offer
FTTC comes in two variations
| Product | Downstream in mbps (upto) | Upstream in mbps (upto) |
| FTTC 40/10 | 40 | 10 |
| FTTC 80/20 | 80 | 20 |
What equipment do I need
To take advantage of FTTC the end user will need either;
- An ethernet router that will connect to a BT Openreach fibre router and deliver your connection via PPPoE
- A vDSL specific router that will connect directly to the premises NTE and connect without the BT Openreach fibre router.
How many VoIP users can I have on a FTTC Connection
| Product | Downstream in mbps (upto) | Upstream in mbps (upto) | VoIP Users |
| FTTC 40/10 | 40 | 10 | 10-20 |
| FTTC 80/20 | 80 | 20 | 20+ |
How long does it take to install a FTTC Connection
The current lead time for an FTTC connection is 10 working days. According to the latest updates from BT Openreach, FTTC/P will be available to 66% of the UK population in 2014.
What else do I need
You will need a standard POTS analogue telephone line to have your FTTC connection deployed in conjunction with. Installation will require an engineer visit from BT Openreach to put your connection in place. This will require you to be onsite at your business premises to allow access to the engineer.
Is there a download cap on data with FTTC
This is dependant on your Internet Service Provider. The variety of packages available will go from light usage at around 10Gb per month downloaded to unlimited usage.
