Fiber to the premises (FTTP) is a way of delivering internet and other services in which fiber-optic cable runs all the way from the provider’s network to the customer’s building, instead of switching to copper telephone wire or coaxial cable for the last stretch. It is the umbrella term for fiber to the home (FTTH) and fiber to the building (FTTB). FTTP is common for both residential and business broadband, and fiber into the building is also how most dedicated business services are delivered.
At a glance
- FTTP means fiber reaches the premises; earlier “fiber to the node” or “fiber to the curb” designs switch to copper before the building.
- Many FTTP services use a passive optical network, such as GPON, where one fiber is split among several customers.
- FTTP can offer higher upload capacity than many copper and cable plans, and some plans are symmetrical, but speeds and symmetry depend on the PON generation, provisioning and plan tier.
- FTTP describes the access medium, not the service terms; best-effort broadband and committed-rate business services can both run on it.
- Availability depends on construction, so it varies widely by street and building.
What problem it solves
Copper telephone lines and coaxial cable have limits on speed, distance and upload capacity, and they are vulnerable to interference and corrosion. As businesses moved video meetings, voice and file storage to the cloud, upload speed and consistency became as important as download speed. Older access networks struggle to deliver both.
Running fiber all the way to the building removes the copper bottleneck in the last mile. Fiber carries far more capacity over longer distances and is not affected by electrical interference, and the same fiber can usually be upgraded to higher speeds by changing the equipment at each end rather than rebuilding the cable.
How it works
Passive optical networks. Most mass-market FTTP uses a PON. A single fiber from the provider’s office is split, using unpowered optical splitters, to serve many premises. Each customer has an optical network terminal (ONT) that converts the light to Ethernet. GPON and the newer XGS-PON are common standards; customers on the same splitter share its capacity.
Point-to-point fiber. Some FTTP, especially for business and dedicated internet access, runs a dedicated fiber or wavelength from the provider’s equipment to the customer, with no shared splitter.
Into the building. Fiber enters the building at the minimum point of entry (MPOE) or a telecom room. In single-tenant buildings it runs to the customer’s equipment; in multi-tenant buildings it may continue to each suite or end at a building-wide distribution point.
FTTH and FTTB
FTTH is FTTP to an individual home or apartment. FTTB brings fiber to a building, often a multi-tenant office or apartment block, and may use the building’s own copper or Ethernet wiring for the final stretch to each unit. For a business tenant, FTTB can be fiber to the building’s telecom room with in-building wiring the provider or landlord does not always maintain.
For help finding fiber at your locations, see our Internet Access solution page.
When it matters for buyers
- Choosing a new office. Fiber availability and lead times should be checked before signing a lease.
- Replacing cable or DSL. Depending on the plan, FTTP broadband can be a large upgrade in upload speed at a similar price, where it is offered.
- Choosing between FTTP broadband and DIA. Both may arrive on fiber; the differences are committed rate, SLA and support.
- Backup links. FTTP broadband from a second provider can be a cost-effective backup to a dedicated circuit.
Questions to ask vendors
- Is this service delivered over a shared PON or a dedicated fiber, and how many customers share the splitter?
- What speeds are sold, are they symmetrical, and are they committed or “up to”?
- What SLA applies, and what repair-time commitment do you make?
- Is fiber already in our building, and if not, what construction and lead time are involved?
- Where does your fiber end, and who maintains the wiring from there to our suite?
- Are static IP addresses available, and at what cost?
How it differs from dedicated internet access
FTTP is a description of the access network: fiber reaches the building. Dedicated internet access (DIA) is a service with a committed rate and a business SLA. Much DIA is delivered over fiber, and some FTTP products are sold as DIA, but most mass-market FTTP is shared, best-effort broadband. Two services can arrive on the same kind of fiber and still differ widely in speed commitments, support and price.