You might have been hearing a lot about ‘full fibre’ recently. As far as connectivity goes, it’s the new kid on the block. At the moment, around 19% of UK homes and businesses can enjoy full fibre, but that figure is rising sharply. 

The Government has said it wants 85% of premises to be able to access a ‘gigabit-capable’ connection by the end of 2025. It’s supporting that ambition with a £5 billion investment. 

So full fibre is on its way, and if you can’t get it yet you probably will be able to soon. Which begs with questions: what is it, and why would you want it? 

The full fibre future 

FTTP stands for Fibre to the Premises, or full fibre for short, but we know it as Business Full Fibre. The main technical difference between FTTP and FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) is that with FTTP your data travels to and from the internet entirely on fibre optic cable. 

With FTTC, your data travels to and from the internet mostly on fibre optic cable, but hops on to copper telephone wires for the last bit between the exchange and your premises. As we’ll explain later, that short hop makes a whole lot of difference. 

If you’re still on an ADSL connection (sometimes known as MPF), your data travels to and from the internet entirely on ageing copper wires. Lots of people and businesses still use ADSL, but it’s slowly being phased out. It’s a lot slower and less reliable than fibre alternatives. 

So that’s what Business Full Fibre is, but what difference does it make? 

The full fibre difference 

A basic rule of thumb with connectivity is that the more fibre your connection includes, the better it is. Fibre is much faster than copper, and it’s also a lot more resilient. 

So FTTC is a big step up from ADSL, offering speeds of up to 76Mbps downstream. By comparison, ADSL lines typically offer speeds of up to 18Mbps. 

As you’ve probably guessed, Business Full Fibre is a big step up again. Actually, it’s huge. Replacing that copper hop from the exchange to your premises with fibre can give you internet speeds of up to 1Gbps, though the actual speed is down to you and your budget. TalkTalk Business, for example, offers full fibre broadband with speeds of 100Mbps, 300Mbps and 900Mbps, and several points in between. 

And full fibre speeds aren’t just fast, they’re consistent. With copper, speeds slow down the further you are from the exchange. With fibre, no such lag occurs. 

The case for Business Full Fibre 

Which is all very well, but none of that answers the central question: what is Business Full Fibre good for? 

In a word, everything. Large files download in seconds. Video conferences are smooth and stutter free. Multiple employees can be using data-hungry services at the same time and not notice any slowdown. 

Full fibre is also highly resilient, so dropouts are vanishingly rare. It’s simply the best connectivity currently on the market. The future is full fibre. 

That doesn’t necessarily mean you need it now. But the rollout is being prioritised for a reason. Experts believe that more and more businesses, including SMEs, will benefit from ultrafast internet over the coming months and years, because we’re all using more digital services. 

The Covid effect 

We were all relying on online services more before the Covid pandemic. But lockdowns have hugely accelerated the trend. Organisations of all sizes have had to equip a remote workforce with the communication and collaboration tools they need. 

The use of cloud services in particular has rocketed in the last year or so, as has our reliance on video conferencing and, in some sectors, digital automation. None of this is going away in a new world of hybrid and mobile work. Many organisations have seen their connectivity stretched to the limit, and there’s more to come. 

The ISDN switch off in 2025 (with ISDN sales ceasing earlier) will force all businesses to embrace internet telephony, putting more pressure on bandwidth. More generally, businesses that want to keep up with competitors will find themselves adopting a new generation of digital services, whether that’s big data analysis, automation, AI or the Internet of Things. 

The beauty of Business Full Fibre is that, whatever digital services you exploit today – and whatever new tools and applications you decide to adopt in future – your connectivity will never hold you back. The complete freedom to experiment and innovate may be the most significant benefit of them all. 

Full fibre from TalkTalk Business 

But why should you get Business Full Fibre from TalkTalk Business? Well, for starters, we’re experts in ultrafast and we’re building our business around it. We believe fibre’s the future of connectivity and we want to help level the playing field and give every business access to ultrafast, reliable they need to thrive as the UK builds back. 

We differ from the competition because of the true value we deliver. We’re the only tier 1 provider to offer customer service that’s rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot, and our prices show that exceptional service and reliable, ultrafast connectivity don’t have to break the bank.

So, should you invest in Business Full Fibre? 

Not every business is ready for full fibre now. If your current connectivity gives you everything you need, there’s no point upgrading for the sake of it. 

But if you have issues with your internet, or you’re considering adopting new cloud services, communication apps and productivity tools, it’s worth thinking about an upgrade that will future proof your business for years to come. Business Full Fibre is that solution. If it isn’t available in your area yet, we can let you know as soon as it is. 

Call us now on 03330 601 113 to check availability in your area or complete the form on this page.