When we browse the Internet we use different devices and technologies that allow this connection. There are a lot of terminology, functions and, ultimately, key points that together offer the possibility for us to surf the net, search, use services and platforms. Now, sometimes doubts can arise with some terms that may be similar. In this article we are going to talk about the differences between FTTP and FTTC , two terms that appear when we talk about fiber optics.
What does FTTP mean
First let’s talk about what FTTP means. When we talk about the FTTP Internet, we refer to what is known as fiber to the facilities or also FTTH (fiber for the home). Basically an FTTP service is a fiber optic cable connection that goes from the Internet service provider to the home directly. When we talk about home we are referring to a private home, a store, a business …
However there is a slight difference to be made between FTTP and FTTH. The first is the connection that goes to the nearest distributor to the recipient and arrives at the physical place where it is found through coaxial cable or twisted pair, for example. However FTTH reaches the recipient directly.
We can say that FTTP is the fastest type of fiber on the market, since everything is optical fiber. This makes it able to reach maximum speeds. It is ideal to maintain the connection and that there is no loss and have good stability.
It has a higher cost , since the quality is higher. We are talking about a technology that offers maximum speed and, as we have mentioned, everything is fiber optics. It reaches the recipient directly.
Requires a more complex installation . Especially it is difficult to take to rural areas, since it is necessary to have a more complex infrastructure. The installation time is logically going to be longer.
What does FTTC mean
When we talk about FTTC we are referring to the optical fiber that reaches the telecommunication booths. Unlike FTTP, it does not directly reach the end point in this case. In other words, these cabins will be a few tens or hundreds of meters from our home. Traditional copper wire is used to cover this last section to the recipient. Logically, this causes some signal loss and therefore less speed. The further we are from that cabin, the more risk there is of having a worse connection.
Unlike FTTP, FTTC has a lower cost. We have indicated that it does not go directly to the final recipient, but that it reaches a telecommunications booth from where it is subsequently distributed to homes, premises, businesses … It uses fiber optics to that booth and subsequently distributes the copper cable connection.
In this case its installation is easier . It is easier to carry to rural areas. We can say that FTTC is a mix between copper cable and fiber optics, since it uses both. This makes it have limited bandwidth, unlike FTTP which has higher bandwidth, thinking about future connections. The time to complete the installation is shorter.
Internet speed is a fundamental factor for users. It does not matter if we are private users or companies with greater needs, speed is something that matters a lot. Therefore in this sense there are important differences. FTTC does not offer the same speed as FTTP, which has a higher capacity.
In short, as we have seen there are differences between FTTP and FTTC. It is true that in both cases we are dealing with fiber connections that offer good speeds for our day to day, but there are certain key points that make one or the other option useful for certain users.