How does fibre broadband work?

How does fibre broadband work?

Fibre broadband gains its speed advantage from the way it delivers data. Standard ADSL broadband uses the same copper wires as your landline telephone, using separate electrical frequencies so both services can work at the same time (unlike the old days of dial-up).

However, fibre-optic broadband cables, which are made of plastic and glass, use pulsing beams of light (hence the word 'optic') to transmit data instead.

While both transmit data at roughly the same speed, much more data can fit into these light pulses than the electrical signals of copper wires. Plus, unlike copper, fibre signals don't get weaker over time, so the connection is more consistent.

Essentially, this means that fibre broadband can provide a lot more bandwidth in a shorter period of time. So not only does that mean much higher internet speeds, but the internet also won't slow down if you live far away from your local street cabinet.