What’s Involved in an Openreach FTTP Full-Fibre Broadband Installation?

Openreach man

Back in December 2013, we created the guide What’s Involved in a Fibre Broadband Customer Installation, which has proved very popular over the years. This was produced when Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) services were first introduced in our local area as part of the Connecting Cambridgeshire roll-out programme. To mark the availability of full-fibre Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) in … Read more

Review of the Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine (UDM) Pro Router – ideal for ultrafast broadband connections

small lcd on UDM pro

In this article, we review the Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine (UDM) Pro, which is now our recommended router for 2021 for ultrafast broadband connections, as shown in our Best Routers for 2021 page. The UDM Pro is a great piece of equipment that seems to provide the ultimate future-proof ‘prosumer’ option for broadband users with … Read more

Guide for Rural Communities: How to Get Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) Now!

Gigabit voucher pic

There is huge uncertainty over the extent to which full-fibre broadband – also known as Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) or ‘gigabit-capable broadband’ – will be rolled out in the coming years, particularly in rural areas. However, with the recent improvements in the Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme and the introduction of ‘top ups’ by local authorities, there’s never … Read more

TV and Video Will Triple Average Home Monthly Internet Usage to Beyond 1 TB By 2025

Figure 1: Forecast for Average Monthly Home Internet Use (2013-2025) Over the next five years, average home monthly Internet usage in the UK will triple from its 2019 level, surpassing 1 TB per month by 2025, as shown in our forecast shown above. This growth, which is in line with usage growth predicted for the … Read more

Disney Plus in the UK Finally Matches Bit Rates in the USA

The exciting launch of Disney Plus in the UK in March 2020 was sadly hampered by the widespread reduction in bit rates among streamed TV providers requested by the European Commissioner Thierry Breton due to the coronavirus pandemic. This resulted in 4k content not being delivered in true 3840 x 2160 resolution and the removal … Read more

Review of Apple TV+: Apple’s Streamed Service Leads the Pack in Picture Quality

Apple launched its new TV streaming service in the UK on 1st November 2019, to compete with rivals Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Pricing is certainly aggressive. Apple TV+ currently costs £4.99 per month although there is a cheaper way to subscribe for buyers of Apple products. Apple offers a year-long trial for buying a … Read more

BBC iPlayer Ultra HD (4k) Demonstrates Amazing Picture Quality

  You may also be interested in: ‘A Perfect Planet’ and ‘Dr Who’ Demonstrate 4k HDR at Its Best in BBC iPlayer (Jan 2021). What a pleasure it was this Christmas and New Year period being able to watch the complete series of ‘Seven Worlds, One Planet’ and ‘Dracula’ on BBC iPlayer in Ultra HD … Read more

Superfast Broadband Fuels Streamed Video-on-Demand Services

We enjoyed a fantastic Christmas period making the most of the large amount of Ultra HD 4k content that is now available across the streaming platforms in the UK, including ‘Seven Worlds, One Planet’ from the BBC (shown above). High-speed broadband has been making a dramatic impact on television production and consumption. It is allowing a … Read more

What is G.fast Ultrafast Broadband?

Openreach engineer

Updated: February 2021. Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on how you see it), G.fast is now taking a back seat to Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) technology, which is a much superior technology. G.fast is fundamentally flawed because performance degrades the further you are located from the cabinet/distribution point. While it’s still relatively early days in the roll-out of … Read more

Latest Pricing Positions FTTP as a Niche Product

Superfast broadband

BT’s Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) on Demand service has been surrounded by a great deal of mystery. While some critics have pointed to Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) technology adopted for BT’s mainstream roll-out as not providing the best long-term, future-proof architecture for superfast broadband, BT and many BDUK-related superfast broadband projects have emphasised … Read more