If your business still runs on FTTC or ADSL, you’re running on copper infrastructure that will be switched off by 2027. Upgrading to full-fibre broadband or a leased line isn’t just an improvement — it’s a deadline.
This isn’t scaremongering. Openreach has been decommissioning the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) region by region, and the final switch-off is set for December 2027. If you’re on FTTC, the copper final mile that connects your premises to the cabinet is part of that legacy network. At some point, your connection will stop working unless you’ve migrated to something better.
The good news: upgrading to full-fibre broadband is straightforward, available across most of the UK, and genuinely transforms how your business communicates and operates. Here’s what you need to know.
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What Fibre Broadband Actually Means for Business in 2026
The term “fibre broadband” gets thrown around loosely — and it’s caused a lot of confusion. There are two very different products that both get sold under that label.
FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) runs fibre from the telephone exchange to the green street cabinet, then switches to copper for the final stretch into your building. That last bit of copper — typically anywhere from 50 metres to half a kilometre — is what throttles your speeds and limits reliability. Most UK businesses that think they have “fibre” are actually on FTTC.
FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) runs fibre all the way to your building. No copper in the loop at all. It’s what most people now mean when they say “full-fibre,” and it’s a meaningfully different product: faster, more reliable, symmetrical upload speeds, and crucially — not dependent on the copper infrastructure that’s being retired.
As of 2026, full-fibre (FTTP) is available to approximately 75% of UK premises. Coverage in town centres and business parks is generally strong, though some rural areas are still catching up. If you haven’t checked your availability recently, it’s worth running a postcode check — coverage has expanded significantly in the last 12 months.
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The 5 Practical Benefits of Switching to Business Fibre
1. Faster speeds for cloud-based tools
If your team uses Microsoft 365, cloud-based CRM, accounting software like Xero or Sage, or any kind of hosted application, your broadband connection is the bottleneck. On FTTC, contention — sharing bandwidth with nearby businesses and residential users — regularly pulls speeds down during peak hours.
FTTP removes that bottleneck. Speeds of 500 Mbps to 1 Gbps are routinely available on business FTTP packages, and because the connection is fibre end-to-end, performance is consistent throughout the working day rather than degrading when everyone else is online.
2. Reliable upload speeds
This is the one that catches most businesses off guard. ADSL and FTTC connections are asymmetric by design — they prioritise download speeds at the expense of upload. A 40 Mbps FTTC connection might only offer 8–10 Mbps upload.
For a modern business, that’s a serious constraint. Video calls, sending large files to clients, uploading to cloud storage, pushing updates to shared systems — all of it depends on upload speed. FTTP is symmetric: a 500 Mbps connection gives you 500 Mbps in both directions. If your team does frequent video calls or regularly transfers large files, this improvement alone justifies the switch.
3. VoIP call quality improves dramatically
VoIP phone systems run over your internet connection, so broadband quality directly affects call quality. On a congested or copper-degraded connection, you’ll hear choppy audio, dropped calls, and that frustrating half-second delay that makes conversations awkward.
FTTP eliminates those problems. The connection is stable, low-latency, and provides the consistent bandwidth that VoIP depends on. As a rule of thumb, each concurrent VoIP call requires approximately 100 Kbps of bandwidth. That means a 10-person office with everyone potentially on a call at once needs at least 1 Mbps dedicated to voice — but more importantly, it needs a connection that’s reliable, not just fast on paper.
We go into more detail on this in the section below, but the short version is: if you’re running VoIP on a copper-based connection and experiencing call quality issues, upgrading to FTTP will almost certainly solve it.
4. No copper degradation in wet weather
This one doesn’t get mentioned enough. Copper telephone lines are genuinely affected by moisture. Water ingress into ducting, damp conditions in the cabinet, and seasonal weather changes all degrade signal quality on FTTC and ADSL connections. If you’ve ever noticed your broadband getting flaky in winter or after heavy rain, that’s why.
FTTP carries light pulses through glass fibre. Water doesn’t affect it. Your connection in January performs identically to your connection in July. For businesses that depend on reliable connectivity to operate — which in 2026 means almost every business — that consistency matters.
5. Future-proof: FTTP won’t be switched off in 2027
FTTC and ADSL both rely on the copper local loop that Openreach is actively decommissioning. The PSTN switch-off means that by December 2027, these connections will no longer function. That’s not a distant concern — migrations are already happening on a rolling basis across the UK, and some exchanges have already completed the switch-off process.
FTTP has no copper component. It’s the technology that replaces the PSTN, not a technology that depends on it. Upgrading now means you control the timing of your migration, rather than having it forced on you at short notice.
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How Does Fibre Affect VoIP Call Quality?
VoIP and broadband quality are directly linked. Your phone system is essentially software running over your internet connection, which means anything that degrades that connection — packet loss, jitter, congestion, latency spikes — shows up immediately as poor call quality.
VoIP as a business telephone system makes a lot of sense: no physical phone lines to maintain, calls routed over the internet, features that would have cost a fortune on a traditional PBX now included as standard. But it only delivers those benefits reliably when the underlying broadband connection is up to the job.
Here’s a simple way to think about your bandwidth requirements:
- Each concurrent VoIP call uses approximately 100 Kbps of bandwidth
- A 10-person office with all staff potentially on calls simultaneously needs a minimum of 1 Mbps dedicated to voice
- In practice, you want headroom — so double that figure and you’re being sensible
Raw bandwidth is only part of the picture. What VoIP really needs is consistent bandwidth — low jitter (variation in packet delivery timing) and low latency. This is exactly where FTTP outperforms FTTC. Because there’s no copper final mile to introduce noise and inconsistency, FTTP connections deliver the stable, predictable throughput that VoIP depends on.
If you’re currently experiencing dropped calls, choppy audio, or echo on your VoIP system, the first thing to check isn’t your phone system — it’s your broadband.
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Is Standard Fibre Broadband Enough, or Do You Need a Leased Line?
This is the question worth being honest about, because the answer depends entirely on how your business operates.
For most businesses under 20 staff, a business-grade FTTP package will be more than sufficient. You’ll get fast symmetric speeds, a static IP (ask for this explicitly when you sign up — not all providers include it by default), and a connection that comfortably handles cloud tools, video calls, and VoIP without breaking a sweat. A good FTTP package from a business-focused ISP typically costs between £40 and £80 per month.
Where a leased line makes sense:
- More than 20 staff, particularly if multiple people are on VoIP calls simultaneously
- Heavy cloud workloads or frequent large file transfers
- You need a guaranteed, uncontended connection — a Service Level Agreement (SLA) that specifies maximum fault resolution times
- Your business genuinely cannot afford downtime, and you want a provider who is contractually obligated to fix faults within hours rather than days
A leased line is a dedicated connection between your premises and the provider’s network. Nobody else shares it. Speeds are symmetric and guaranteed. Fault response times are contractual. It costs more — VoIPninjas leased lines start from £149 per month — but for the right business, the reliability and SLA protection are worth every penny.
The honest position: don’t spend money on a leased line if FTTP will do the job. But if you’re running a VoIP-heavy operation, have a larger team, or can’t afford the kind of intermittent outages that sometimes affect shared broadband, a leased line is the right answer.
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What to Check When Upgrading
Before you commit to a new connection, run through this checklist:
1. Check FTTP availability at your premises
Openreach’s postcode checker gives you the most accurate picture. Your current ISP may also have an availability tool, but checking directly with Openreach means you’re not relying on a provider’s interpretation of availability data.
2. Ask your provider for a static IP address
If you’re running VoIP, remote access, or any hosted services from your premises, you need a static IP. Some business packages include it; others charge extra. Confirm this before you sign.
3. Check the SLA
Standard business broadband packages typically include a best-effort SLA — faults fixed within 2–3 working days. For many businesses, that’s acceptable. If it isn’t, you need either an enhanced SLA package or a leased line.
4. Calculate your minimum VoIP bandwidth requirement
Take the maximum number of concurrent calls your business is likely to have at any one time, multiply by 100 Kbps, then double it for headroom. If your planned FTTP package doesn’t comfortably exceed that figure, it’s worth going up a speed tier or having a conversation about a leased line.
5. Plan the migration timing
If you’re moving from FTTC or ADSL, co-ordinate the cutover carefully, particularly if you’re also moving your phone system to VoIP at the same time. Migrating broadband and telephony simultaneously is achievable, but it’s worth allowing a day of overlap where possible.
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When VoIPninjas Can Help
VoIPninjas works with UK businesses on broadband connectivity and VoIP telephone systems — often both at the same time, because the two are closely related.
Leased lines from £149 per month. If your business needs a guaranteed, uncontended connection with a strong SLA, we can quote for a leased line to your premises. Prices vary depending on speed tier and location, but £149/month is where we start for most South Coast and UK mainland business addresses.
VoIP on any FTTP connection. You don’t need a leased line to run VoIP well. If you’re upgrading to FTTP and want to move your phone system at the same time, we can set up a hosted VoIP system that works over your new connection from day one.
Free site survey. Not sure what your business actually needs? We offer a free site survey — we’ll look at your current setup, your team size, your typical usage patterns, and tell you honestly whether FTTP will do the job or whether a leased line makes more sense. No hard sell.
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Ready to Upgrade?
The 2027 PSTN deadline is real, and the businesses that migrate on their own timeline — rather than scrambling when an exchange switches off — will have a much smoother experience.
Whether you need full-fibre broadband, a leased line, or a VoIP system to go with it, the process starts with a conversation.
Get in touch with VoIPninjas today →
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Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between FTTC and FTTP fibre broadband?
FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) runs fibre to the green street cabinet but uses copper wire for the final connection into your building. FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) runs fibre all the way to your premises with no copper in the loop. FTTP is faster, more reliable, delivers symmetric upload and download speeds, and is not affected by the 2027 PSTN switch-off. FTTC connections use the copper local loop that is being decommissioned.
Will my broadband stop working when the PSTN is switched off in 2027?
If you’re on FTTC or ADSL, yes — at some point before or on the December 2027 deadline, your connection will be migrated or switched off as part of the Openreach PSTN decommissioning programme. The exact timing depends on your exchange area. Businesses on FTTP are not affected, as full-fibre uses entirely different infrastructure. See our detailed PSTN switch-off guide for more information.
How much bandwidth does VoIP actually need?
Each concurrent VoIP call requires approximately 100 Kbps of bandwidth. A 10-person business with all staff potentially on calls simultaneously needs a minimum of 1 Mbps for voice, but in practice you should allow double that for comfortable headroom. Raw bandwidth is only part of the story — VoIP also needs low latency and low jitter, which is why FTTP outperforms FTTC even when the headline speeds look similar.
Does every business need a leased line, or is standard FTTP enough?
Most businesses with fewer than 20 staff doing standard cloud-based work will be well served by a business FTTP package. A leased line makes sense when you need a guaranteed, uncontended connection with a strong SLA — typically relevant for larger teams, VoIP-heavy operations, or businesses where downtime has significant financial consequences. VoIPninjas leased lines start from £149 per month. If you’re unsure which is right for you, our free site survey will give you a clear answer.