FTTo vs FttH Pro: dedicated fiber with a 4-hour GTR against shared PON at best-effort
FTTo, also sold as FTTE, is the dedicated point-to-point line. FttH Pro is the shared PON line.
Choose FTTo for business-critical sites that need guaranteed symmetric bandwidth, a contractual GTR 4h, and multiple static IPv4 addresses. Choose FttH Pro for cost-driven secondary sites where best-effort throughput and standard support are enough.
Quick Comparison
Understand the difference between FTTO and FTTH fiber deployments for enterprise connectivity.
- FTTo
- Dedicated 100Mbps-10Gbps, 99.99% SLA, guaranteed bandwidth
- FttH Pro
- Shared 300Mbps-8Gbps, business support, best-effort
- SLA Difference
- FTTo: contractual with credits | FttH: support only
- Bandwidth Type
- FTTo: symmetric | FttH: often asymmetric
Side-by-Side Comparison
Detailed technical and operational comparison
| Feature | FTTo (Fiber to the Office) | FttH Pro (Professional) |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment Type | Dedicated fiber strand | Shared PON infrastructure |
| Bandwidth | 100 Mbps - 10 Gbps symmetric | 300 Mbps - 8 Gbps (often asymmetric) |
| Bandwidth Guarantee | 100% CIR (committed) | Best-effort (contention 1:20-1:32) |
| SLA | 99.99% with service credits | Business support without SLA |
| Repair Time | 4-hour RTO (contractual) | 24-48 hour target (best-effort) |
| Latency | Consistent <2ms local | Variable 2-10ms (load-dependent) |
| Jitter | <1ms (guaranteed) | Variable (5-20ms possible) |
| IPv4 Addresses | Multiple static IPs (/29 or /28) | Single static or dynamic IP |
| Network Monitoring | 24/7 NOC with proactive alerts | Reactive support only |
| Deployment Time | 4-12 weeks (fiber build required) | 2-4 weeks (if fiber available) |
| Contract Term | 12-36 months typical | 12 months typical |
Pick the right fiber in one read
Match the deployment to the site, not the other way around.
Choose FTTo when the site needs:
- A contractual GTR 4h with service credits on the SLA
- Symmetric bandwidth for cloud backup, replication, or heavy upload
- Guaranteed CIR that never competes with other subscribers
- A /29 or /28 of static IPv4 for hosting and segmentation
- BGP multi-homing or VLAN routing on the access link
Choose FttH Pro when the site accepts:
- Best-effort throughput with a 1:20 to 1:32 contention ratio
- Business support without a contractual uptime figure
- A single static or dynamic IPv4 address (CGNAT possible on dynamic)
- A lower monthly cost as the deciding factor
- A faster 2 to 4 week install where fiber already reaches the building
Know which fiber the site needs?
Hybrid Approach: Best of Both Worlds
Many businesses deploy FTTo as primary connectivity for critical operations, with FttH Pro as cost-effective backup. This provides enterprise-grade performance with redundancy at reasonable cost. Automatic failover ensures business continuity if primary FTTo link fails, with FttH Pro providing reduced but functional capacity during repairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about FTTo vs FttH Pro selection
FttH Pro can support VoIP for small businesses (5-20 phones) with proper QoS configuration on your router. However, call quality may degrade during peak hours when neighborhood bandwidth is congested. For larger deployments (50+ phones) or mission-critical communications, FTTo's guaranteed bandwidth and low jitter provide more consistent quality. Consider FttH Pro acceptable for VoIP if you have backup connectivity (cellular, DSL) for failover.
Typical FttH Pro contention ratios range from 1:20 to 1:32, meaning up to 20-32 subscribers share the same fiber capacity. During peak evening hours (6-10 PM), you may experience 30-50% reduction in throughput. Business-class FttH Pro sometimes offers better ratios (1:10-1:15) than residential service, but still lacks the guaranteed bandwidth of FTTo.
Yes. FttH deployment is faster (2-4 weeks) if residential fiber already reaches your building, so only ONT installation required. FTTo requires dedicated fiber build from nearest operator PoP, taking 4-12 weeks depending on distance and civil works required (trenching, conduit installation). In buildings with existing FttH but no FTTo, lead time difference can be significant.
Yes, but requires new fiber installation and service migration. Plan for 4-12 week lead time for FTTo deployment. Best practice: deploy both simultaneously during initial buildout, using FttH as temporary primary while FTTo installs, then keeping FttH as backup. Avoid business disruption by planning upgrade during low-activity period.
BGP is required only for multi-homing (connections to multiple ISPs) or AS-level routing control. FTTo supports BGP; FttH Pro does not. If you need automatic failover between multiple ISPs with provider-independent IP space, FTTo with BGP is necessary. For simple single-provider connectivity with static routes, BGP adds complexity without benefit. Most SMBs don't need BGP unless running multi-site MPLS or requiring carrier-grade redundancy.
Yes. FTTE (Fiber to the Enterprise) and FTTo (Fiber to the Office) name the same dedicated point-to-point line; operators use both terms interchangeably in France. Read every FTTE quote as an FTTo quote: same GTR 4h, same CIR, same static IPv4 block.
Need Help Choosing Between FTTo and FttH?
Our network architects can assess your bandwidth requirements, application profiles, and budget to recommend the optimal connectivity solution for your business.