Switching to full fibre isn’t just a smart decision for your home or business. It can also play a big role in shaping a sustainable, carbon-neutral future. From energy efficiency to reduced emissions, let’s take a look at how.

Full fibre broadband uses fibre optic cables to deliver the internet right into the building, replacing the old copper cables. Made from naturally abundant silicon (which gets turned into glass), fibre optic technology is far more sustainable compared to the destructive mining processes required to create copper cables.

Built with a protective coat, fibre optic cables are more durable. This makes the fibres more robust, more resistant to corrosion and less likely to be damaged by extreme weather. All of which means they need repairing and replacing much less often, improving their sustainability. Great news for those in remote areas where outages have major consequences. 

Fibre optic cables massively outperform copper, requiring around 70% less energy to transmit the same data over longer distances. Because they have a lower resistance, they lose less power and generate less heat. Full fibre also eliminates the need for cooling equipment in the exchange, leading to a big reduction in energy consumption and emissions. 

Because there are fewer electrical components in fibre optic systems, the hardware is smaller and easier to recycle. Better still, the new cable can follow the same route as the copper cable being replaced, so there’s no need to dig so much new ground. This makes it much greener with fewer trees being cut down and lower maintenance costs. 

Better for streaming, better for gaming, better for everyone

As you can see, switching to full fibre broadband goes way beyond fast, reliable connectivity. It has a real impact on the environment. So if you fancy broadband that’s good for car chases, zapping aliens and the planet, get in touch with Cuckoo about upgrading today. 

Is full fibre broadband environmentally friendly?

Think ‘environmentally friendly’ and you’ll probably picture solar panels, electric cars, paper straws and all the other usual green suspects. So it might surprise you to learn that switching to full fibre broadband can also be added to the list of ways to be kinder to the planet. 

The weather. Moaning about it endlessly is a bit of a national obsession. But when it gets really bad, it isn’t just your mood that’s affected. The gale force winds, heavy rain and extreme temperatures we’re increasingly facing can also have an impact on your broadband.

Especially if you’re one of the 42% of people who still rely on the older technology that uses copper cables like ASDL or fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC). Upgrade to full fibre broadband however and you should still have something to watch until the sun comes back out.

☔ It's raining. Again. How heavy rain impacts broadband.

Let’s start with the most common British curse. Good old rain. We should be used to it by now but when a month’s worth falls in an hour, the resulting floods can cause chaos for older broadband infrastructure.

Excessive moisture damages underground cables and equipment. And even Wi-Fi signals are not immune as water droplets can absorb the signal, causing fluctuations. The best thing you can do is to upgrade to full fibre. Or get your wellies on and go puddle hunting.

🐸The wind in the willows. How gusty wind can cause broadband issues.

We might give storms cute names like Agnes or Ciaran (although Mr Toad would be more appropriate), but that doesn’t make them any less destructive. High winds can cause overhead cables to vibrate which can affect broadband signal. And flying trees can take them out entirely.

Upgrade to full fibre however and not only is the cable tougher and longer lasting than copper but the majority of fibre optic cables run underground.

⛄ Let it snow. How freezing weather can slow down your broadband.

The good news is that it rarely gets c-c-c-cold enough in the UK to cause any issues with broadband technology. The bad news is that the real damage to your internet speed is done by all the people who stay at home in front of the telly with their slippers on.

That extra demand can really stretch your bandwidth. Upgrade to full fibre though and it’s problem solved, even in the busiest households. So you can binge movies, blast aliens and even work (if you absolutely must) while you wait for spring.  

😎The heat is on - hot weather and broadband.

Okay, it’s not Death Valley in Dorset yet. But it has been getting steadily warmer in recent years and the main issue with hot weather and broadband in the UK is badly placed routers. If there’s not enough ventilation, or a build-up of dust, your system could overheat.

So make sure it isn’t jammed in and has room to breathe. And flick a duster over it once in a while. Also, to help it keep its cool, disconnect any devices you aren’t using and use ethernet cables where possible.

Lightning-fast broadband, come rain or shine

Whatever the weather, Full fibre broadband from Cuckoo delivers a superfast, fibre optic connection right into your home. With speeds of up to 900Mb so you can stream, game and zoom to your heart’s content. All over the house. 

The gale force winds, heavy rain and extreme temperatures we’re increasingly facing can have an impact on your broadband.

How the weather can impact your broadband connection

Full fibre is a broadband connection which gives you a dedicated full fibre connection direct into your home. Offering ultrafast speeds and unbreakable reliability

Essentially, full-fibre broadband changes the way that your broadband connection is taken into your home. It offers faster speeds and a more reliable connection and is a key part of the Governments plans to get more homes and businesses better connected.

If you don’t already have full-fibre broadband installed in your home, you’re probably either using an FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) or ASDL (Asymmetric Digital Subscribe Line) broadband connection. These connections get you online using copper cables, either the whole way from the exchange to your home, this is how an ASDL connection works. Or through a fibre-optic cable from the exchange to the cabinet closest to you (the green box in the street) and then a copper cable from there to your home, this is how FTTC broadband works.

With full-fibre broadband, a fibre-optic cable will be connecting you from your home directly to the exchange, no copper whatsoever. We’ve put together an eggy visual to help this make sense….

Why does having full fibre make a difference?

Full fibre uses fibre-optic cables all the way from the exchange to your house, and fibre-optic cables are an amazing piece of technology. They’re so great because they can transmit superfast speeds and are incredibly reliable, they’re difficult to damage and can last decades, unlike copper cables which can last just a few years. That means next to no dropouts or buffering!

If you want to get really high-tech, one of the reasons they’re so amazing is because they are made of glass (or sometimes plastic) which is no thicker than a strand of hair and than wrapped tightly to keep it protected.

The biggest thing you’ll notice when you upgrade to full fibre is the speed that you’ll get, when we say it’s fast, it’s realllllly fast!

For starters, if you’re using FTTC broadband at the moment, the best speeds you’ll get will be able to get will be 80 Mb/s, no matter what provider you use. This can also vary dramatically depending on how close you live to the green cabinet on your street. But, full fibre can deliver speeds of up to 1,000Mb/s (1Gbs/), more than 10 times as fast, and it doesn’t matter how far away you live.

You’ll be able to download a film in under a minute. Whoosh!

What does it mean for my current connection?

As full-fibre broadband is being rolled out, your current connection may be turned off as it will be an old & outdated technology. This may not be for a few years, but it will happen at some point in the future but this will be different for every house. There’s nothing we can do about this unfortunately, it’s just the way it is. It’s a bit like mobile phones; eventually everyone will use it!

When you’re told about full fibre being available to your home, the best thing you can do is upgrade when you can. You’ll notice the prices won’t be too dissimilar from what you’re currently paying and the reliability will be considerably better.

We know what you’re thinking, is full-fibre broadband really all it’s cracked up to be? Check out this guide where we’ve given you the real full fibre low-down.

At Cuckoo,  we only offer Full Fibre. So, if you’re ready to make the upgrade or switch to Cuckoo, hit “Sign Up” in the top right and you can see if full-fibre is available. If it’s not, you can sign-up for notifications and we’ll let you know when it is!

Full fibre broadband (also known as FTTP: Fibre to the Premises) is currently being installed across the whole of the UK. That’s great, but what does it mean? Discover what it actually is in the guide.

Is full fibre broadband environmentally friendly?

How green is my full fibre broadband?

Less Waste

Longer lasting

More energy efficient

Less digging

Better for streaming, better for gaming, better for everyone

More from Cuckoo

How the weather can impact your broadband connection

What is Full Fibre?

How fast can you go?