FTTP not available at your address? Here's what to do

Why FTTP availability is so patchy

FTTP gets built out street by street, in batches. A new fibre cabinet near you might get switched on, then the build pauses while engineers move to another priority area. The result is the familiar rural pattern, your end of the village has full-fibre, the other end is still on FTTC, and the farms on the lane between you have neither.

An availability checker tells you what's available at your specific address right now. "Not available" means: not on the build plan in the immediate future. It can become available later, but for planning purposes you can't count on it within 12 months.

The realistic alternatives

FTTC (fibre to the cabinet)

The previous-generation fibre service, fibre to the street cabinet, copper from the cabinet to your house. Speeds depend on how far your house is from the cabinet:

• Within 300m: usually 60–80 Mbps download, 18–20 Mbps upload
• 300m–800m: typically 30–50 Mbps download
• Past 800m: often 10–20 Mbps, sometimes less

For most homes, FTTC is fine for everyday use, streaming, video calls, working from home. It struggles when several heavy uploads happen at once.

4G fixed wireless

A specialised router with a 4G SIM, often paired with an external rooftop antenna to lift signal. Where you have good signal from EE, Vodafone or O2, this delivers 30–80 Mbps in our experience, and sometimes faster with a multi-network SIM that picks whichever carrier is strongest.

Install is quick (often within a week of order), the kit is straightforward, and the monthly cost is competitive. The risk is signal, if your address is in a hollow or behind a hill, 4G might not be viable. See our home 4G broadband page.

Starlink

Low-orbit satellite broadband, for properties where 4G isn't viable. Faster download (typically 50–250 Mbps in Wales), much faster upload than 4G, and works almost anywhere with a clear view of the sky. Higher up-front and monthly cost, more involved install (professional mast or roof mount, surveyed cable run). Worth it for genuinely remote properties or businesses that need consistent upload speeds. See our Starlink installation page.

Ethernet leased line (businesses only)

Dedicated fibre delivered through Ethernet, uncontended, symmetrical speeds, an SLA on uptime. Expensive (typical 3-year contract values start at four figures monthly) and lead times of 60–90 working days are common. Right for businesses where downtime costs real money. See our leased lines page.

How to check what's realistic at your address

Three quick things you can do today:

1. Check the wholesale-network Fibre Network Checker for FTTP status at your address (search "FTTP checker").
2. Check mobile signal from your nearest window or upstairs. If you can get 3 or 4 bars from any carrier, 4G fixed-wireless is probably viable.
3. Check sky visibility for Starlink, you need a clear view of most of the sky. Trees and tall buildings to the south block more than to the north.

Questions worth asking any supplier

• Will you survey before installing, or are you quoting blind from a postcode?
• What's your fallback if the primary service struggles after install? (Backup SIM, alternative routing.)
• What's the actual install lead time at my address, not the marketing one?
• What happens if I cancel within 30 days because speeds aren't what you quoted?

For rural Wales we install all four options. FTTC, 4G fixed-wireless, Starlink, and Ethernet for the business cases. Send us your postcode and we'll come back with what works at your address, not what we wish was there. If you're choosing between Starlink and 4G specifically, see our comparison.