Category: Blog posts

As we have discussed many times, the unprecedented importance of a full fibre broadband network must be implemented in order to take us, as a society and a as a nation, to the next step of our digital journey.

This importance is recognized by the Government. So much so, that they are aiming for 85% of all UK premises to have the ability to connect to a full fibre network.

There are certain methods of implementing such networks. One of these methods is digging.

What is digging

Digging is often referred to the method of building new underground networks where none currently exist.

This usually results in an invisible network for generations to come as well as connection to a full fibre network with no repercussions moving forward.

However, digs aren’t always the flawless method of network installation that most people think. There are a lot of caveats that often go unrecognized during and after the build process. We are here today to enlighten on just some of the impacts that a dig can inflict on your town, road and even your premise.

Hidden side of digging

Now a lot of people associate digging with some disruption for a week or so and then life back to normal.

Now whilst we always try our best to keep builds to a minimum, it can be an extremely stressful time for those involved.

Noise Pollution

Firstly, with many of the UK population now working from home, the noise that usually takes place during office hours are now a factor when it comes to online meetings and virtual calls. Focus, especially at home, is crucial given the drastic change in working environment, however with consistent noise pollution coming from a dig build, it can affect the quality of your work.

Congestion/Restricted Road Access

If you don’t work from home, it can also cause disruption in terms of access in and out your road. We have seen many complaints about digs in our industry that has resulted in traffic build up, access restriction and even forcing residents of the road to take the long way home.

Given the importance of school runs, going to work retail hours or night shifts, the last thing on your mind should be trying to rush out the house 15 minutes early because you know the dig build outside is causing congestion amongst your road/town.

Accidental Cable Cuts

There have been many cases of builds causing existing cables to be cut leaving premises with no phone, internet or power in some circumstances. Due to the uncertainty of the materials found in the ground, or the inaccuracy of existing network documentation, cables could be dug shallower than expected resulting in cuts.

Without any power, food goes to waste, paid days of work are lost and overall stress levels increase.

Accessibility Issues

If something were to go wrong with your connection after the build is completed, accessing the cabling becomes increasingly more difficult. Rectifying the issue can then become a miniature build within itself, and the mentioned points in this post come into play for a second time.

This would happen every time there is a connectivity issue moving forward.

Invasion of Personal Boundaries

In order to receive a full fibre optic cable connection, we must set up an internal power unit into your home. To access the power unit from the CBT (the terminal in which your connecting line will be connected to the entire network), we must drill a hole into your house and thread the cable through.

This is after having to dig up your driveway in order to feed the line underneath your home. This in itself will leave scarring on your beautiful drive as well as cause louder noise pollution the closer we get to your home.

Furthermore, throughout the build process, there is potential of footfall on your private land resulting in trampled grass, front gardens or flowers.

Day off from Work

Because of the need to enter your home and install the connection internally, it means that you will need to be home that day. For those who work from home, this isn’t as much of an issue, however, for those who do not, a day’s holiday will need to be taken.

Dust Pollution

Natural residual dust would be released into the air from our builds. This could pose as harmful to those who breathe it in. We always follow safety procedures to ensure that sites are kept tidy and safe to work in, however, there are some things that remain out of our control.

Involvement of Landlords

If you are a tenant at a property and you are wanting to have an underground connection, we will need to speak to your landlord to ensure that we are allowed to build into and underneath their property. This could result in a delay to the build depending on the responsiveness of your landlord.

Dig Vibrations have Caused Damage

There have been cases during builds where the vibrations of breaching the concrete surface have caused vibrations so severe that ornaments have been broken and boundary walls have been damaged. Due to the intensity of the build, second-hand damage can be caused to older houses or precious items.

Timescales

The timescale of a full fibre implementation will be increased if the build process is done via digging. This is due to the more technical work required, the time needed to layout roadworks/diversion signs as well as the tidying and refilling of any ditches we have dug into the ground.

All of this extra work means that it will take longer for you to receive your lightning-fast broadband and remain on a network that simply cannot keep up with today’s digital demands.

Long Term Damage to Pavements

Because of the way we trench, we have to trench along the pavements. Because of the intensity of our machinery, this sometimes can cause cracks adjacent to our trenching. With time, these cracks can have water fill them, freeze and then crack even further.

Along the surfaced pavements would be trip hazards and unsafe walkways for generations. Any caps or band-aids that we use to cover these cracking issues can also become slippery when wet which furthers the trip/slip hazards cause by micro trenching.

Digging isn’t always the answer

Despite the obvious benefits of keeping networks underground in terms of aesthetics, there are a lot of disadvantages that seemed to be swept under the proverbial rug.

If you do have queries from the back of this post, please do get in touch with our team and we will see if we can help resolve your questions.

Furthermore, if you want to learn more about our industry and some of our technical jargon, feel free to read more of our blog posts.

We talk a lot about ‘FTTP’ or ‘Fibre to the Premise’. If you don’t know what it is, we have an entire post dedicated to explaining what it is and the benefits of FTTP for your home.

The benefits are magnificent, but ultimately, you want to know how to get FTTP to your home.

Today, we break down how you can access the forefront of internet technology and start possessing the superpower that is ultrafast broadband.

What is FTTP

Just for clarification, FTTP stands for Fibre to the Premise which means a fibre optic cable runs from the cabinets (the green metal boxes you may find dotted around your towns) straight to your home.

This differs to the existing networks which have copper cables running from the cabinet to your home. This is known as FTTC.

The range of benefits of full fibre can be found on another blog post we have.

How to get FTTP

This is all great, but how can you actually get FTTP broadband?

Well, it ultimately comes down to where network providers build their cables.

If your current copper network isn’t scheduled to be replaced by a network builder, then you won’t be able to access FTTP internet.

For a lot of rural residents, this is a particular pain point due to those towns consistently being looked over by large corporations.

It is this very reason why our work focuses on underserved market towns that deserve FTTP access as much as the larger cities.

Contact Internet Service Providers

If your address is eligible to receive FTTP, then it is imperative you contact you’re a new provider you wish to serve you a full fibre network.

Simply fill in a contact form on their website, or call their phone number displayed on their website and speak to one of their team members.

A lot of the background work is completed by the providers. We have an entire blog post about how to switch internet providers if you are concerned!

Fibre Heroes Help

As we said, we focus on the underserved market towns of the UK.

By providing these towns with the digital forefront of technology, we level the digital playing field and allow for rural areas to be an even more desirable place to live.

We want to serve 500,000 homes with FTTP by 2025. To help us achieve this, we use our passion and innovation to ensure that you are equally as informed as we are about this revolutionary tech.

Check your eligibility

With all this being said, find out if we are building FTTP networks in your area.

Use our postcode checker to see if your town is part of our current build towns.

We are expanding at a rapid rate and could be coming to your town sooner than you think.

The internet has transformed the way the world operates. With such a rapid progression, it appears to have taken over the way we communicate, entertain ourselves and the way we work. There is a lot of jargon and marketing that can be confusing. Ultimately, we want to show you how to choose an ISP (Internet Service Provider) to reap the maximum benefits of a wonderful online resource.

ISP Availability

The first thing you need to know when choosing an ISP is the availability of their services. If your postcode doesn’t fall under their service catchment area, then you are unable to receive their broadband. This is especially prevalent if you live in rural areas of the country where access is already limited.

There are many excellent altnets (alternative networks) that specialize in local services that could provide more dedicated services. Above all, ensure you check where your desired ISP serves to see if you can receive their broadband deals.

Connection Reliability

A lot of us are able to access the internet from our mobile phones almost anywhere. With the demand for connectivity at an all time high, we expect a reliable service no matter where we are in the country.

A reliable service is imperative given the pandemic’s shift in work culture. For hybrid workers (who work both from home and in the office), home entrepreneurs, and freelancers, a reliable service could literally make or break their business.

Having a reliable service means that you are able to host those important meetings, attend interviews, doctor’s appointments, family catch ups, without the worry of missing vital moments.

Broadband Speed

Everything is getting quicker: cars, humans, delivery services. It’s how evolution works, the quickest survive. Your broadband connectivity is no different.

Having a fast internet speed allows for quicker downloads, smoother conference calls and ultra-high-quality streaming. Choosing an ISP that can provide these quick services is imperative to meet the demands of you, your family’s or your business’s digital lifestyle.

Cost

What is the cost of the speed you are looking for? With impressive speeds come not so impressive prices. Usually, the faster the speed, the more costly the monthly price.

If the high speed is top priority, then work out if it is a sustainable price, if it is a fair price. Are you able to find the same speed (or similar) at a cheaper rate elsewhere?

Are there any deals at the time can save money in the short term? Are you able to opt-out when the price increase from the original deal? By doing this research, you could be receiving the best quality for a bargain.

Online Security

With the evolution of the internet comes the evolution of those who want to take advantage of it. Scammers, hackers and more have all become more complex and with the vast amount of data out in the world, it is important that your ISP is able to protect yours from any form of breach.

Look into the security of your desired ISP. Have there been previous breaches? Do they have any security guarantees? Are they able to ensure that your data remains protected?

If you are wondering, always call them up and ask them. If you aren’t the most tech savvy, ask for the answers in plain English to help you understand the kind of services they can provide for you.

Types of Connection

Your needs will dictate the type of connection that you require. There are a handful of types of broadband so we will quickly inform you of the most common:

• DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) – this is the transmission of data over copper wires. This is the current existing infrastructure when it comes to connectivity.
• Fibre – this is the transmission of data through fibre-optic cables. The cables convert electric signals to light and the light is sent through the transparent fibres. The speed of fibre networks are far greater than those of DSL.
• Wireless – this is the transmission of data through radio signals from the ISP to your location. Excellent for rural areas that may have problems receiving wired cables.
• Satellite – this is the transmission of data through the use of satellites in the Earth’s orbit. Similar to wireless connection, it is great for reaching rural areas but the speeds can vary on many factors.

Customer Support

We have all been there. Your internet has been down for too long. It’s more than just a power cut. You ring up customer support and they don’t pick up. They don’t even call you back. So you leave a comment on social media. There is no response. You email them. There is no reply. All whilst your internet isn’t working.

There is always some sort of problem when it comes to mass infrastructure. Having an ISP that is responsive and willing to go the extra mile to ensure your setup is back to where it should be is one of the most important factors when it comes to choosing your ISP.

By researching online, you are able to find out whether they respond to social media claims, whether they call back, whether they are willing to ensure your day is disrupted for no longer than it has to be.

Can your ISP of choice value you as a customer as opposed to another source of income for some C-suite you have never even heard of?

If you have friends or colleagues who use their service, ask them for their opinion. Are they good? Should you switch? Find out as much information as possible that give you the most informed decision possible.

Choosing the Correct ISP

By conducting your own research, you are able to ensure you are making the right decision. By knowing how to choose your ISP, you are armed with the information you need to get the most out of your broadband connection.

If you are unsure, ask someone you trust who is more tech savvy to help explain it in terms you can understand. But, above all, choose the best package for your needs and ensure that you and your loved ones can access this wonderful resource safely and without concern for future problems.

With copper networks becoming decommissioned in 2025, fibre optic cables are the most suitable selection, not only to replace the existing network, but also to improve the internet connection we receive.

By switching from a copper network to a full fibre connection, we enable a smoother internet connection that is truly unmatchable compared to the current system.

With this mass, national change, there are concerns around the safety of this new material that will be in and around our homes. This comes with a stigma of fibre optic health risks that could be a biproduct of being exposed to them.

Which leads us to the question ‘do fibre optic cables emit Electromagnetic Radiation?.’

Electromagnetic Radiation

According to Oxford Languages, electromagnetic radiation is defined as ‘a kind of radiation including visible light, radio waves, gamma rays, and X-rays, in which electric and magnetic fields vary simultaneously.’

Sources of electromagnetic radiation comes from both man-made inventions and natural occurrences; TV’s, microwaves, computer screens, fibre optic cables, thunderstorms and more.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), after conducting extensive research, they concluded that ‘current evidence does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low level electromagnetic fields.’

Do Fibre Optic Cables emit EM Radiation?

With fibre optic cables using light as its vehicle of data transmission, there is understandable concern regarding electromagnetic radiation being emitted from them.

The WHO has established electromagnetic radiation in low forms is not harmful, but the question remains, do fibre optic cables emit radiation?

The answer is no, they do not emit radiation.

Fibre optic cables are nonconducting and are therefore safe in all electromagnetic fields. Any breaks that do occur within a cable can be detected extremely quickly and fixed in a timely fashion.

Compare this with its copper counterpart, which is conductive and acts as an antenna to electromagnetic fields. It is much safer to have fibre cables around your home and road compared to the existing copper network setup.

Not only is it safer, but the performance is also unmatched – a fibre optic cable will remove any internet speed problems you are currently experiencing. There are many more benefits that having full fibre internet access can bring you, such as a greener carbon footprint, consistent connection, and less maintenance callouts.

Fibre Future

As mentioned above, copper networks will be decommissioned in 2025. The future of our national internet connection is a full fibre network to premises up and down the country.

If you want to know more about our full fibre broadband installation in your town, browse our coverage checker to see how we are progressing in your town.

If you have any questions, please do get in touch and we are more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

We often try and showcase the benefits of full fibre broadband and the value that an FTTP internet connection can bring to you, your family and your business.

But with all of our educational pieces drawing on different sources of data, we wanted to compile the list of all of the benefits that a full fibre broadband comes with.

Environmental Benefits

There are many benefits for the environment if you are to have a full fibre network.

Creation of Fibre Cables

Gaining the resource for copper networks negatively contributes to the environment.

Digging for copper resources impacts natural habitats, affects plant life and brings acid rain due to the sulphur dioxide used in the process.

On the contrary, fibre optic cables are made from silicon dioxide, or as you may know it as sand. It is already easily accessible and readily available to turn into broadband networks.

Running a Fibre Network

Fibre optic cables, due to their efficiency in data transmission, require far less power to run on a day-to-day basis.

Copper networks, due to generating more heat and requiring more power to ensure the data can reach the furthest point in the network, must have large data networks constantly running just to ensure the upkeep of performance.

Save on Energy Bills

FTTP (or a full fibre network) actually is the most energy efficient type of broadband. With this it means that they need less Points of Presence which essentially means that it has less active elements in different locations.

You are using a lot less energy which means that the power of running the network is further decreased.

For you, it also means that, because you require less power, your energy bills can cost less.

Dig Once

After a fibre optic network has been placed, it is highly unlikely that it will need to be replaced again. The technology is the backbone to the future and there are no further developed technologies that can surpass a fibre network.

Once it has been put in, it won’t be replaced again and the environmental impacts of digging is vastly reduced.

Benefits Directly Related to You

What are the noticeable benefits that you will see on a day to day basis?

Internet Speeds

The obvious immediate benefit you will notice is the increased internet speed. The difference is staggering. It is gigabit capable meaning that it can reach 1000Mbps.

For context, the national average is 50.4Mps. The numbers speak for themselves.

No Buffering

You’ll notice that there is significantly less buffering when it comes to streaming, gaming and loading video content.

This means you’ll be able to watch the content you or your family wants to watch without the hassle of the dreaded loading wheel.

No Peak Hours

On copper networks, you may notice during the evening, when more people are trying to use the internet, that the connection seems to slow down despite being normal throughout the day.

This is because you have entered ‘peak hours’ where everybody is trying to use the network.

The existing bandwidth can’t cope with the amount of data in demand.

If you have a full fibre network, this problem is no more.

Multi Device Use

Following on from the multiple users, you can also house more ‘smart’ objects throughout your home without the worry of affecting connection.

Smart TV’s, watches, fridges (even mugs!) can now have a seamless connection to ensure your day-to-day life is less hassle.

Higher Quality Online Calls

Highlighted thanks to the pandemic, the need for online calls to connect with loved ones is paramount.

When on these calls, you won’t need to worry about your internet connection not being able to keep up with the call.

The quality will be so high, it almost feels like your friends and family are in the room with you.

Quality of WFH

The recent shift to working from home (WFH) has opened a lot of homeowners’ eyes to the true quality of their connection.

Full fibre networks allow for a dramatic increase in work quality – as if you never left the office.

Quicker Download/Upload

A full fibre network will allow you to download and upload large files quicker, export large documents, send email attachments and more a lot quicker than you currently do.

It will streamline your workflow.

Leverage Smart TV’s

Smart TVs are starting to enter every household.

With the ability to connect to the internet being an obvious benefit, your full fibre network will be able to cater for the demand of the streaming, downloading and loading of movies/TV shows/videos and more.

Reliable Connection

Copper networks can often be overworked and cause an outage without there being any damage to the network.

When this happens, you lose your internet connection at the most important times.

Fibre optic cables can’t get overworked, they don’t overheat and if there is a break in the network, it is easily identifiable and an easier fix.

You receive a much more reliable and consistent connection when switching to a full fibre network.

Synchronous Speeds

Synchronous speeds is when the download and upload speeds match. Whilst we mentioned the download speed before, what we didn’t mention is that your upload speed dramatically increases to match your download speed.

Usually, your download speed is far greater than your upload speed so this is a real benefit.

By having greater upload speeds, you can share your data with the internet a lot quicker (think uploading photos, livestreaming).

Improve Gaming Experience

For all of the gamers, a full fibre network provides a quicker response time to help improve your performance.

Also, downloading of updates and new games will no longer take several hours, but just mere minutes.

Online Shop, Stream, Browse Quicker

If you’re aiming for the sale, new collection drop or even just the latest blockbuster, a full fibre network will allow you to access online platforms at a much quicker rate than you currently do.

Increase your House Price

Nowadays, with the importance of a great internet connection apparent, the price of your house can actually increase by up to £5,000 just for having a access to a full fibre network.

It seems like a no brainer investment if you are looking to add value to your home.

Future Benefits

Can help Boost Economic Growth

By having a full fibre network, a chain reaction of events are able to occur.

Less people move to the bigger cities and stay in rural areas due to not chasing the fast internet areas.

More residents in rural areas mean more local business for shops.

More shops making money allows them to improve infrastructure and look of shops.

A nicer looking town can have improved tourism.

Improved tourism can bring in more money to the council to improve local amenities.

All of this from an full fibre network; who knew?

Many Benefits to Full Fibre Broadband

As you can see, the list of benefits of full fibre broadband are plentiful. There are a lot of pros to consider when you are thinking about your next broadband connection.

To check your full fibre availability, use our postcode checker or if you have any other enquiries please get in touch using our contact form and we will get back to you as soon as we can!