The six types, and the clue that usually gives each away
Most UK home broadband that arrives by cable is one of six types. They differ in how much of the route to your home is fibre optic cable (glass strands that carry light) and how much is older metal cable. Your paperwork, the box on the wall and the router usually give it away between them.
Type | What it means | Contract label | Strongest clue at home |
|---|---|---|---|
ADSL (standard or copper broadband) | Copper phone line all the way from your home, through the street cabinet, to the exchange | Copper | Router in the phone socket, as with part fibre: the contract label or package name tells them apart |
FTTC (fibre to the cabinet) | Fibre to the green street cabinet, copper phone line from there to you, with a traditional landline on the same line | Part fibre | Router plugged into the phone socket; no fibre box |
SOGEA | The same set-up as FTTC, sold without the traditional landline; any calls run over the broadband | Part fibre | As FTTC, but the phone (if you have one) works through the router |
G.fast | Another technology over the copper from the cabinet, also sold as part fibre | Part fibre | Older installs: sometimes a separate Openreach G.fast modem next to the router; many providers now build it into the router |
Cable | Virgin Media's hybrid network: fibre to its street cabinets, then coaxial cable (the thick, round TV-style cable) to your home | Cable | A coaxial lead into a Virgin Media hub |
Full fibre (FTTP or FTTH) | Fibre all the way into your home | Full fibre | A small powered box (an ONT) on the wall, with the router plugged into it |
The definitions come from Openreach, BT, Sky, Vodafone and Virgin Media's own pages (checked October 2026). Sky's help groups FTTC, SOGEA and SoG.Fast (G.fast sold without a landline) together as part fibre, and adds that there's no practical difference between FTTP (fibre to the premises) and FTTH (fibre to the home): you'll just hear one term rather than the other.
Broadband that comes through the air rather than a cable, such as fixed wireless, 4G or 5G home broadband and satellite, isn't in the table. It has its own giveaway kit, covered under clue 3.
Why it's worth knowing which you have
Your connection type decides more than speed. It shapes what you can switch to and what's changing on your line:
- The landline switch-off. BT will close the PSTN, the old analogue phone network, on 31 January 2027. Broadband supplied over a traditional phone line, including ADSL, FTTC and G.fast, has been under a UK-wide "stop sell" on Openreach's network since 5 September 2023: people who have it can keep it for now, but it generally can't be newly supplied. If you're on ADSL, our guide to what is happening to ADSL broadband explains the options.
- Where full fibre arrives, copper goes. Openreach says copper broadband is no longer available to new customers where its full fibre has been built, and that providers will move customers across before the switch-off date.
Clue 1: the technology label in your contract summary
Since 16 September 2024, Ofcom guidance has required providers to describe the network technology behind a broadband product when you buy it, in the contract information and in the contract summary, using clear terms such as full-fibre, part-fibre, cable or copper. Ofcom treats "fibre" on its own as too vague to describe the technology. (Source: ISPreview's report of the guidance, as Ofcom's website blocks automated checks.)
You can recognise the contract summary by its fixed wording: it begins "This contract summary provides the main elements of this service offer" and carries a date and the provider's name and contact details. The guidance doesn't say which section of the summary has to carry the technology label, but the template's first heading, Services and equipment, is the most likely place, so start there and read on if it isn't. Our guide to reading a broadband contract summary walks through every section.
How to read the label:
- Copper means ADSL.
- Part-fibre covers FTTC, SOGEA and G.fast. The label won't tell you which of the three, so use the clues further down.
- Cable means Virgin Media's hybrid fibre and coaxial network.
- Full-fibre normally means fibre all the way to your home. One exception: Ofcom allows FTTB (fibre to the building, where fibre reaches the building and other wiring covers the last part) to be described as full fibre for now, even though it's technically part fibre.
The label describes the type of connection, not who owns the cables. A summary from before 16 September 2024 may just say "fibre"; if yours does, use the other clues.
Clue 2: your package name, bill or online account
Some providers publish exactly which technology sits behind each package name, so the name on your bill or in your online account can settle it.
Sky and NOW
Sky's help article "Broadband technology explained" has a table listing every Sky and NOW package name against its technology (checked 25 October 2026). A few examples from it:
Package name | Sky's label | Technical term |
|---|---|---|
Sky Broadband Essential | Copper | ADSL |
Sky Fibre | Part Fibre | FTTC |
Sky Full Fibre 100 | Full Fibre | FTTP |
NOW Superfast | Part Fibre | SoGEA |
The catch: the same table lists Sky Broadband Superfast, Sky Broadband Ultrafast and Sky Fibre Unlimited Pro twice, once as part fibre and once as full fibre. If your package has one of those names, the name alone won't tell you, so go to your contract summary or the kit on the wall. Our Sky broadband deals page covers Sky's current range.
Vodafone
Vodafone says customers with a SoGEA or FTTC connection have a "Fibre 1" or "Fibre 2" plan, and that full fibre plan names include the words "full fibre", for example "Full Fibre 150". So a Vodafone plan name tells you part fibre or full fibre, but not FTTC or SOGEA. See our Vodafone broadband page for its packages.
BT and other providers
BT's help uses the same technical terms, ADSL, FTTC and FTTP, as the table at the top of this guide. We found no official provider page showing where in the online account the connection type appears, so if your bill just says "broadband" or "fibre", ask in writing (wording below).
Clue 3: the equipment where your line comes in
Follow your router's cable back to the wall: what it plugs into is usually the strongest single clue.
A small powered box on the wall: full fibre
On the Openreach network, full fibre ends at an Optical Network Terminal, or ONT. Openreach describes it as a small white box with the Openreach logo, usually near a power socket, with its own power supply. It turns the light signal into a connection your router uses through an Ethernet port (sometimes labelled LAN or Data). Openreach says the ONT is specific to full fibre and that FTTC doesn't need one.
Other full fibre networks fit their own boxes, which may look different. Whichever you have, our guide to the full fibre ONT and your router explains what the box and its lights are for.
One thing to check: Openreach says to leave the ONT in place when you switch provider (the new provider uses the same box) and when you move out. So a box on the wall shows full fibre has been installed at your address; it's your router being plugged into it that shows you're using it. If the router is in a phone socket instead, you're on copper or part fibre. Our guide to what happens to the copper line after full fibre covers that situation.
The router plugged into a phone socket: copper or part fibre
Openreach says FTTC comes in through your existing phone line socket and your router plugs in from there. ADSL works the same way. So if the router's cable goes into a phone socket and there's no powered fibre box, you're on ADSL, FTTC, SOGEA or G.fast.
The socket that matters is the master socket: BT describes it as the main socket where the phone line enters your home, usually in the hallway or near the front door, and, if you have several sockets, the one that feeds the extensions. ISPreview notes that SOGEA lines still plug into the same NTE5 master socket (NTE5 is the standard Openreach master socket).
Don't read anything into microfilters, the small plug-in adapters that let broadband work alongside a phone service. BT says whether you need them depends on your master socket: with a single socket you fit one on every socket with phone or broadband equipment, and with a two-socket faceplate the hub goes into the broadband socket and none are needed. So they don't separate ADSL from part fibre; use clues 1, 2 and 4 for that.
A coaxial cable into a Virgin Media hub: cable, or Virgin full fibre
Virgin Media runs its own networks rather than Openreach's. On its hybrid network, Virgin says light signals are converted at the street cabinet into signals carried on coaxial cable, one of which heads straight to your home. On its full fibre network, fibre comes all the way into your home through a small hole and ends on an outer wall or plugs straight into Virgin Media's kit.
Don't be thrown by wording: Virgin's own help page also calls its hybrid network "fibre to the cabinet, or FTTC". Under Ofcom's plain-English labels, that coaxial connection is cable, not part fibre on a phone line. Your hub model, below, is the next clue. Our Virgin Media broadband deals page explains its packages.
No phone socket or fibre in use: wireless or satellite broadband
Some homes get broadband without a cable from the street at all. The kit tells you which kind:
- Fixed wireless uses radio signals from a mast. Airband, one provider that sells it, says a small receiver, usually an external antenna, is fitted outside the property and connected to your router, with the indoor equipment placed where the cable comes in. That means you can also end up with a box on the wall and a router plugged into it, so don't read that alone as full fibre: look outside for the antenna. Our guide to how fixed wireless broadband works covers the survey and installation.
- 4G or 5G home broadband uses a mobile network. Three says its home broadband hubs don't need a landline because they use its mobile network, and that you plug the hub into power with no installation visit. Three also sells a 5G Outdoor Hub for homes without a good signal indoors: it mounts on an outside wall, pole or window, with an eero Wi-Fi router indoors connected to it. Our guide on whether 4G or 5G can replace fixed broadband explains the trade-offs.
- Satellite uses a dish with a clear view of the sky. Starlink's setup guide has you plug the Starlink cable into the dish and route the other end to the router's port 1, marked with an antenna symbol. Our guide to installing Starlink covers where the dish can go, and our Starlink broadband page explains its plans.
Clue 4: your router's model and settings page
For Virgin Media customers, the hub is worth a look. Virgin's hub comparison page has a "Network Connection" row naming the technology each hub uses to reach the network: XGS-PON (a full fibre technology) for the Hub 5x, DOCSIS 3.1 for the Hub 5 and Hub 4, and DOCSIS 3.0 for the Hub 3. DOCSIS is the standard for broadband over cable. A Hub 5x therefore suggests full fibre, and a Hub 3, 4 or 5 suggests cable. There's one gap: some Virgin full fibre homes are on an older build using RFOG (radio frequency over glass), and the comparison page doesn't say which hubs those homes have. So if a DOCSIS hub and your contract summary disagree, go with the summary or ask Virgin.
On a phone-line connection, two boxes can mean G.fast. ISPreview reported in August 2024 that G.fast was usually supplied as two boxes, an Openreach G.fast modem plus a Wi-Fi router, that Openreach had already stopped supplying its own modems for new installs some time before, and that it stopped supplying them altogether from 1 December 2024. Providers had also started offering routers with the modem built in. So a separate modem points to an older G.fast install, and a single router doesn't rule G.fast out. See our guide to what G.fast is and what's happening to it.
The settings page on a phone-line router
Routers have a settings page you open by typing an address into a browser on a connected device. On a BT Hub, for example, the Hub Manager opens at 192.168.1.254 or http://bthomehub.home; BT says it lets you test your broadband connection, and changing settings needs the admin password on the back of the hub, unless you've changed it. Other providers' help pages give the address for their own routers.
What you're looking for: thinkbroadband explains that on ADSL2+ and VDSL2 lines (VDSL2 being the technology FTTC uses), the speed shown in the router's web interface is the connection, or "sync", speed, set by the condition of your copper line. Full fibre has a fixed connection speed. So a page full of DSL line figures (sync speed, noise margin, attenuation) is a strong sign of a copper or part-fibre line. The sync speed can also hint at G.fast: Openreach quotes FTTC at up to 76Mbps download, so a phone-line connection syncing well above that points to G.fast rather than FTTC. A lower figure doesn't rule G.fast out, so confirm with your provider. Our guide to reading your router's line statistics explains those figures.
Clue 5: online checkers, and what they can't tell you
Availability checkers are useful, but they answer a different question: what could you get at your address, not what you're using now.
- Openreach's fibre checker asks for your postcode and address and shows which of its broadband services are available there now (full fibre, FTTC or standard copper broadband) and sometimes what's planned. Openreach says it's linked to its network records and updated regularly, and you can report a result you think is wrong. Because it's Openreach's own checker, it covers Openreach services, and it shows what's available rather than what you're using.
- Ofcom's broadband and mobile checker shows predicted broadband availability at an address. Ofcom says it collects coverage data from an increasing number of network builders, but some, particularly smaller networks, may not yet be included, so a gap there doesn't prove a network is absent.
If Openreach's checker shows only FTTC or copper broadband, you can rule out Openreach full fibre. If it shows full fibre but your router plugs into a phone socket, you could order full fibre but aren't on it yet. Our guide on how to check full fibre availability explains why checkers sometimes disagree. To see which providers actually sell where you live, browse broadband deals by area.
Telling FTTC from SOGEA
This is the hardest pair to tell apart. Openreach describes SOGEA (Single Order Generic Ethernet Access) as standalone hybrid fibre broadband, VDSL or G.fast, without the voice service, using the same technology as FTTC. ISPreview notes that SOGEA lines are still FTTC connections and plug into the same master socket.
The difference is the phone service. Vodafone puts it simply: with FTTC, the copper line carries broadband plus a traditional landline; with SOGEA, it carries broadband plus a digital voice line, so calls run over your broadband. That gives you one clue that works in one direction only:
- If an ordinary phone plugged straight into the wall socket gets a dial tone and makes calls, your line has a traditional phone service, which fits FTTC (or ADSL).
- If a phone plugged into the wall gets no dial tone, that fits SOGEA, but treat it as a pointer and confirm with your provider.
- A phone that runs through the router, or not using a home phone at all, doesn't prove SOGEA on its own: an FTTC line still carries a traditional landline whether or not you plug a phone into it.
Neither the "part-fibre" label nor a Vodafone plan name separates the two, so ask your provider whether your line includes a traditional phone service. Our guide to what SOGEA is and what changes when your line moves covers what to expect.
Putting the clues together
No single clue is perfect, so look for two that agree:
What you find | Most likely type | How to confirm |
|---|---|---|
Router plugged by Ethernet into a powered fibre box; summary says full-fibre | Full fibre | Settled |
Fibre box on the wall, but the router plugs into a phone socket | Copper or part fibre, with full fibre installed but not in use | Contract label; ask the provider |
Router in phone socket; summary says copper | ADSL | Package name; router settings page |
Router in phone socket; summary says part-fibre; phone at the wall socket gets a dial tone | FTTC | Ask whether the line has a traditional phone service |
Router in phone socket; summary says part-fibre; no dial tone at the wall socket | Possibly SOGEA | Ask the provider |
Separate modem next to the router on a phone line, or sync speed well above 76Mbps | Possibly G.fast | Ask the provider |
Coaxial lead into a Virgin Media Hub 3, 4 or 5; summary says cable | Cable | Settled |
Virgin Media Hub 5x | Points to Virgin full fibre | Contract summary label |
Antenna or receiver outside, cabled to an indoor router; no phone line or fibre in use | Fixed wireless (or a 5G outdoor hub) | Ask the provider |
Plug-in hub with no cable to the wall except power | 4G or 5G home broadband | Settled |
Dish cabled to a router | Satellite | Settled |
If two clues won't agree, ask the provider that bills you: it placed the order for your line.
What to ask your provider
Ask by chat, email or account message so you have the answer in writing:
- "Is my broadband full fibre, part fibre, cable or copper?"
- "If it's part fibre, is it FTTC with a traditional phone line, SOGEA, or G.fast?"
- "Is my home phone on a traditional phone line? If so, when will it move to a digital service, and what will change?"
- "Is full fibre available at my address, and would an upgrade need an engineer visit?"
The last question matters if the checker says full fibre is available. For questions about who owns the cables, see our guide to which network your broadband is on.
Once you know: sensible next steps
- On ADSL or part fibre with full fibre available: the end of your contract is a natural point to look at moving, since leaving early can mean an early termination charge. Our fibre broadband deals page explains what to look for, and you can compare deals at your postcode through our partner's comparison. It shows deals for your postcode, but you order with the provider you choose; we don't switch you ourselves.
- Switching provider: our guide to switching broadband providers explains how One Touch Switch works, including between different networks.
- Checking performance: once you know your type, a speed test means more. Openreach's own up-to figures are 21Mbps download and 1Mbps upload for copper broadband, and 76Mbps download and 15Mbps upload for FTTC; your line may get less. Try our broadband speed test and our guide to how your speed compares with the official UK figures.
Broadband connection type FAQs
Does my contract summary have to say what type of broadband I have?
For contracts taken out since 16 September 2024, yes. Ofcom guidance requires providers to describe the technology behind a broadband product in the contract summary in clear terms such as full-fibre, part-fibre, cable or copper, rather than "fibre" alone. The guidance doesn't say which section must carry it, but the first heading, Services and equipment, is the likeliest place. An older summary may simply say "fibre", so check the other clues or ask your provider.
If I have a white box on the wall, do I definitely have full fibre?
It shows full fibre has been installed at your address: Openreach says its ONT is specific to full fibre. But Openreach also says the ONT is left in place when you switch provider or move out, so check where your router is plugged in. If it connects by Ethernet to the box, you're on full fibre. If it plugs into a phone socket, you're still on copper or part fibre.
How do I know if I have Virgin Media cable or full fibre?
Check your contract summary first: it should say cable or full-fibre. Your hub helps too. Virgin Media lists the Hub 5x as connecting over XGS-PON, a full fibre technology, and the Hub 5, 4 and 3 over DOCSIS, the cable standard. Some older Virgin full fibre uses a different technology (RFOG) and Virgin doesn't say which hub those homes have, so if the hub and the summary disagree, trust the summary or ask Virgin.
Does the Openreach fibre checker show what broadband I have now?
No. It shows which Openreach services are available at your address (full fibre, FTTC or standard copper broadband) and sometimes what's planned. Because it's Openreach's own checker, it covers Openreach services, and it tells you what's available rather than what you're using. Combine it with your contract summary and the equipment at home to work out what you actually have.
If my phone plugs into the router, does that mean I'm on SOGEA?
Not on its own. Vodafone explains that an FTTC line carries broadband plus a traditional landline, while SOGEA carries broadband plus a digital voice line, so calls go over the broadband. A firmer clue is an ordinary phone plugged straight into the wall socket: a dial tone means a traditional phone service. An FTTC line keeps its traditional landline even if you never use it, so the safest check is to ask your provider whether your line includes a traditional phone service.
What if there's no phone socket or fibre box in use at all?
Then your broadband probably comes over the air. A receiver fixed outside and cabled to your router points to fixed wireless, or to a 5G outdoor hub. A hub that only plugs into power is 4G or 5G home broadband, and a dish cabled to a router is satellite, such as Starlink. Your provider can confirm which you're paying for.
