There are many different options available when trying to determine the solution that’s right for your project, some of which you may be familiar with. As specialist internet service providers, we understand the benefits and limitations that each technology brings with it and are on hand to advise you at each stage of your project. The most commonly used technologies used on the market include:

FTTC (Fibre-to-the-Cabinet)

A form of fixed line technology whereby fibre cables carry a connection to a cabinet near the premises. From the cabinet, your connection feeds via copper wiring directly into the premises.

Performance depends on factors like your distance from the cabinet and number of other households connected; there are fixed limits to the available speeds as it is essentially shared with other users at the cabinet. The majority of home broadband connections use this technology.

Is it right for me?

Cheap, fairly reliable and usually performs well. Useful in urban areas but lead times will be long and installation costly if there is no existing infrastructure.

FTTP (Fibre-to-the-Premises)

A relatively new technology, an FTTP connection operates similarly to FTTC but uses fibre optic cables throughout. FTTP is faster and more reliable than FTTC, but is far less widely available and as it is also shared with other local users, the speed can vary at peak times.

Is it right for me?

Far higher performance than FTTC but with the same caveats on cost of installation and contention – and even less widely available.

Leased Line

Known by many names, including Ethernet, leased line and more, this is the fastest and most reliable connection available, involving dedicated fibre optic cabling to an internet service provider. Its greatest advantage is the fixed speeds on offer (up to 10Gbps), but long lead times and contracts require significant planning and expense so is only suited for the largest of events.

Is it right for me?

If you need the fastest performance and guaranteed speeds, this is the ultimate option, but very long timescales and contract durations mean a leased line is only for the largest sites.

Low Earth Orbit Satellite 

Satellite internet access will be beamed to your site via a low earth orbit satellite – for a lower latency, high-speed connection. Great for establishing internet access in remote locations but requires clear visibility of a larger area of sky for reliability and can suffer from variable upload speeds.

Is it right for me?

Still a relatively new and immature technology. But, for the fastest speeds in rural areas with clear visibility of the sky, this could be the only option.

Geostationary Satellite 

A geostationary satellite operates in much the same way as a satellite in low earth orbit. Operating at a higher altitude, a geostationary satellite connection offers wider coverage but can be more expensive to establish and suffers from higher latency and lower speeds.

Is it right for me?

With relatively low speeds, high latency and cost, this is the last resort when all else fails.

Point-to-Point

A point-to-point connection takes an existing internet connection from a high point nearby – such as a tall building – and transmits it directly into another location. This can be a cost-effective solution, and has the ability to link remote locations, but viability may vary depending on the quality of the existing connection and lines-of-sight. The distance will affect the hardware required and so costs can vary significantly.

If you can’t find a wireless ISP in the area, you may need to provision the existing connection yourself, in which case the same caveats apply for all the other technologies!

Is it right for me?

Can be deployed quickly and easily if existing connections exist, but ultimately relies on other technologies to facilitate.

Dongle/Tethering

Mobile hotspots using dedicated devices or mobile phones can be used to create cheap and quick internet access in a small area. These support a limited number of devices and the hotspot needs to remain within range at all times. Performance will be dependent on the 4G/5G network being used and can cut off when making or receiving calls.

Is it right for me?

Quick when you need something instant but not a usable solution for more than one user.

4G/5G Router 

A dedicated piece of hardware which typically offers a more reliable connection than a mobile hotspot. While they can offer multiple SIM card slots to “fail over” in the event of an issue, they are still dependent on the coverage of the 4G providers and the quality of the installation.

Is it right for me?

More flexible than tethering, a 4G/5G router is still reliant on the same underlying technology and dependent on network coverage.

Bonded 4G/5G 

By bonding multiple 4G and 5G connections into a single connection, we can provide a faster and more reliable connectivity solution. This is a more complex system that usually requires managed devices at both ends of the connection; performance is very dependent on the bonding software and its configuration.

While bonded 4G/5G can be a fast and efficient solution where fixed lines are impossible, incorrect setup can actually produce a worse link than other solutions.

Is it right for me?

Offers good performance where basic 4G coverage isn’t enough, but can be very expensive to lease or extremely complex to self-install and manage.