Products & Offers
9th August 2024
Today, having a reliable and high-speed internet connection is crucial. When it comes to Full Fibre broadband there are two primary technologies. These are Passive Optical Network (PON) and Point-to-Point (PTP).
These technologies are important in delivering fibre, but they operate in different ways. Let’s explore what PON and PTP are, how they differ, and their benefits for fibre internet connections.
What is Full Fibre broadband?
Before diving into PON and PTP, it’s important to understand what Full Fibre broadband is. Full Fibre broadband, otherwise known as Fibre-to-the-Premises or FTTP, involves connecting fibre optic cables direct to the premises. This fibre connection enables faster, more reliable connections compared to traditional copper-based connections.
What is PON (Passive Optical Network)?
A PON network is a fibre optic network that uses a single optical fibre to connect many homes. In a PON setup, the internet provider splits its signal among many end-users, meaning you are sharing your connection (and potentially speeds!) with neighbours. Typically, a provider may split your connection between up-to 32 other homes.
Key features of PON:
- Shared fibre: A single optical fibre shared among many users.
- Cost-effective: PON is generally more cost-effective to deploy than PTP. It requires fewer fibres and less equipment.
Advantages of PON:
- Cost efficiency: With fewer fibres and passive splitters, the infrastructure costs are lower.
- Lower maintenance: Fewer active components in the network reduce maintenance requirements and costs.
What is PTP (Point-to-Point)?
Point-to-Point (PTP) is where you connect directly to an access point via a dedicated fibre optic link. Unlike PON, PTP does not share the fibre connection with others, so you get your own dedicated fibre link (not shared with your neighbours!).
Key Features of PTP:
- Dedicated fibre: Each user has a dedicated fibre optic link.
- Higher bandwidth: Offers higher bandwidth and more consistent performance compared to PON.
Advantages of PTP:
- Higher performance: Dedicated connections mean higher and more consistent bandwidth (and speeds!) for each user.
- Greater control: Service providers have more control over the network. This can help with ensuring better performance and reliability.
- Security: Dedicated links offer improved security, as the connection is not shared among many users.
PON vs. PTP: Which is Better?
In the UK, Openreach provide most fibre connections. In most deployments they currently use a version of PON (GPON). Part of the reason they use GPON is to save money on their roll-out. However, GPON places limitations on how fast they can go before capacity becomes an issue. Many well-known providers rent their capacity from Openreach and thereby provide services using PON.
Understanding PON and PTP will help you make the right choice for your fibre provider. If you don’t want to share with next door then choose a provider using PTP. If you are happy sharing, because you don’t play games or stream then a PON based provider may do for you.
What about Grain: PON or PTP?
Grain owns its own fibre network from end-to-end. We do not rent capacity from Openreach. Our network uses PTP. This gives customers the benefits of higher performance, increased security and futureproofing. You will not share your connection and can make full use of your network for gaming or streaming.
Want to find out more? Check out our Full Fibre packages or check your postcode to find out if we are available in your area. We have more locations coming soon so make sure you leave your information and we’ll be in touch!