What is FTTC ?
What is FTTC ? – FTTC stands for Fiber to the Cabinet, a type of broadband internet infrastructure.
In FTTC, fiber optic cables are used to connect the local telephone exchange to a street cabinet near your premises. From the cabinet to your home or business, traditional copper cables (or sometimes other technologies) carry the connection.
Key Points About FTTC:
- Fiber to Cabinet:
- High-speed fiber optic cables carry the majority of the data from the internet service provider to the street cabinet.
- Copper for Last Mile:
- The “last mile” from the street cabinet to your home typically uses existing copper phone lines (using VDSL technology).
- Speeds:
- Faster than older broadband technologies like ADSL but slower than full fiber (FTTP – Fiber to the Premises).
- Speeds generally range from 30 Mbps to 80 Mbps, depending on the distance from the cabinet and the quality of the copper.
- Advantages:
- Widely available as it leverages existing infrastructure.
- Affordable and easier to deploy compared to FTTP.
- Limitations:
- Speeds decrease with distance from the cabinet due to the use of copper.
- Not as future-proof as full fiber options.
FTTC is common in many countries as an interim step toward full fiber networks. It balances performance and cost-effectiveness for widespread broadband access.