Full fibre & symmetric speeds, explained
Broadband jargon can be confusing. Here's a plain-English guide to full fibre and why symmetric speeds are worth caring about.
Full fibre (FTTP)
Full fibre - properly called Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) - means a fibre-optic cable runs all the way to your home. Older "fibre" broadband (FTTC) only runs fibre to a street cabinet and uses copper for the last stretch, which slows things down and is less reliable. Full fibre is the modern, future-proof option.
Symmetric vs asymmetric
Download speed is how fast you pull data in (watching, browsing, downloading). Upload speed is how fast you send data out (video calls, backups, posting, gaming).
- Symmetric: upload equals download, e.g. 900 Mbps down / 900 Mbps up.
- Asymmetric: upload is much lower than download, e.g. 900 Mbps down / 110 Mbps up.
Why it matters today
We send more than ever: HD video calls, cloud backups, large work files, live streams and low-latency gaming all lean on upload. A symmetric connection keeps these smooth even when the whole household is online.
Olilo & APFN: symmetric full fibre
Olilo offers symmetric full fibre over the new APFN network, with matching upload and download up to 900 Mbps. See how it compares in our APFN vs Openreach guide.
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