Frequently asked questions

Who is Freedom Fibre?

Freedom Fibre is an alternative network provider, rolling out gigabit capable, FTTP broadband to homes and businesses across the North West, Wales and Shropshire.

 

What is FTTP and why do I need it?

FTTP (Fibre to the Premises), or full-fibre, is the future of broadband. With the huge growth of online streaming and gaming, working from home, internet-dependent devices, and many essential services moving online, your broadband needs to be able to keep you connected. This is where our lightning-fast, gigabit-capable network can help. By having an FTTP service, you’ll be using the UK’s fastest and most reliable broadband technology that guarantees robust connectivity, no matter what time of the day or how many devices you have connected. 

 

Is FTTP more reliable?

Yes, full-fibre provides a more reliable, resilient, and future-proof connection. The current copper network that this technology is replacing degrades over distance and is often impacted by external influences such as weather and traffic. As a full-fibre connection is delivered straight into your home or business and is not affected by external influences, it means fewer faults and more predictable, consistent speeds. It also has the capacity and longevity to meet growing data demands and will easily serve generations to come. This is why the UK government has set a target to have full-fibre technology available nationwide by 2030.

 

I already have fibre, what’s different about this?

There’s a HUGE difference! Current standard fibre, or FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet), technology only uses fibre cabling to the cabinet and then copper cables to deliver the connection into your home or business. This means that your speeds will still be limited and your connection unreliable. Across the UK, the average home broadband speed is around 65Mb/s. With our full-fibre service, we remove that copper element and install fibre straight to your door which allows us to provide up to 1000Mb/s. You’ll be able to work from home and stream movies even while the kids game online with their friends without any worries of losing connection or buffering.

 

I don’t really use the internet so why do I need it?

Full-fibre technology provides a more reliable service, so even if you don’t really use the internet other than for sending a few emails it will help keep you connected – especially with more and more essential services such as healthcare and banking being moved online. There is also significant evidence to suggest that available broadband speeds form part of the decision-making process for property buyers and having full-fibre can increase house prices by as much as 3%. So, although you may think you don’t need it now, it could be very beneficial to you in the future. 

​

BT Openreach has also announced that it doesn’t make sense for them to keep old technologies running, and they are stopping the sale of services using the copper network, replacement parts are no longer being made, and eventually, they’ll ‘switch-off’ the copper network altogether.  So,  it’s wise to be mindful of this and start considering moving to a new full-fibre network like ours to avoid being left without a broadband connection. You can read more about the copper network retirement here.
 

Is it more expensive?

Depending on the service provider, FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) packages can be slightly more expensive than FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet), however, you’re effectively getting 10x the bandwidth, a better quality and reliability of service, and futureproofing your connectivity. Our network is currently available to connect to through our internet service provider partners. You can view information on their available packages here.

 

When will the service be available?

We are already live in many areas throughout the North West, Wales and Shropshire. The best way to find out if we’re live in your area or keep up to date on when we’re coming to your area is by registering your interest with us.

 

How can I place an order? 

Firstly, we need to check if our full-fibre network is available in your area. You can do this by so we can check your address and let you know if it’s available now or coming soon. If/when our network is available at your property, we’ll pass your details on to our internet service provider partners who can talk you through your options and arrange to get you connected.

 

How do you get the fibre to my house?

For us to be able to serve your address, we run a fibre cable from our active cabinet to your street. We use a range of construction methods, mainly utilising existing underground ducts or utility poles for aerial connections, however sometimes narrow trenching is required. In most cases, this work typically lasts around two to three days outside each property.

​

Will you need to dig up my driveway?

Probably not, as most homes can be served aerially by a nearby pole. If your premise does need connection via the underground network, our engineers will walk you through the proposed route, then you can decide on what works best for you. If we do need to dig on your property, we will make sure that we replace any ground we’ve moved to the highest possible quality. You can find out what to expect at a standard home installation here or by viewing the short video below..