Glossary

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) – A form of Digital Subscriber Line connection that uses frequencies on regular, copper telephone lines that aren’t taken up by voice calls. It is possible to receive up to 24Mbps download over ADSL, however, upload speeds could be variable due to the condition of the wires, distance, and any noise or interference on the telephone line.

Cabinet capacity – When a new FTTC cabinet is installed, Openreach know how many properties will be connected and they also make an assumption regarding how many connections will be taken-up. If the take-up is higher than anticipated, Openreach will need to add additional capacity by installing new connection cards into the cabinet. Openreach actively monitor each cabinet and will automatically order the new cards, so in many cases, the upgrade will happen before the cabinet reaches capacity. On occasion however, take-up may be higher than expected and can also happens very quickly, which means the cabinet will reach capacity quicker and then cause a short delay before new orders can be taken.

Core Network – Also known as backhaul or backbone networks, this is the part of communications infrastructure that aggregates access connectivity (such as Radio Access Networks) and connects to the main internet gateways.

Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) – A fibre connection from the exchange to the local on-street cabinet, then a copper connection from the cabinet to end premise. This is also known as VDSL (see below).

Fibre-to-the-Premise (FTTP) – A full fibre connection all the way from the telephone exchange to the end premise.

FTTP on Demand (FoD) – An ultrafast broadband service with speeds up to 330Mbps. It’s available for premises already in a Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) area. It is built to order, so when you order FoD, Openreach will provide installation cost details for your premise.

Full Fibre – Full fibre broadband uses fibre optic cables to connect the exchange directly to each premises (also known as FTTP). Full fibre connections are capable of download and upload speeds over 1 gigabit-per-second (1 Gbps). It is currently the fastest and most reliable broadband technology.

Gigabit-capable – Gigabit internet can deliver average download speeds of at least 1 gigabit-per-second (1 Gbps)—that’s the same as 1,000 megabits per second (Mbps). 1 Gbps allows a high-definition film to be downloaded in under one minute. This definition also applies to the Virgin Media DOCSIS 3.1 network.inition also applies to the Virgin Media DOCSIS 3.1 network.

Internet Service Provider (ISP) – An ISP is any company that provides internet access to homes and businesses. Internet can be provided through options including cable, Digital Subscriber Line, fibre optics, and wireless, with most ISPs offering all of these options. 

Long Term Evolution (LTE) – A worldwide standard for 4G wireless communication technology, the fourth generation of mobile network technology initiated in 2008.