Amphora Connect delivers full-fibre broadband over a brand-new local network built for the way people use the internet today. Full fibre provides a dedicated fibre connection to your property, making it well suited to working from home, streaming, gaming, video calls and households with many connected devices. Our service offers competitive speeds, straightforward pricing and support from a provider that operates locally. Almost uniquely, we offer equal download and upload speeds. No other local provider can do this.

Availability varies by property. Enter your postcode into our availability checker to see whether your address can be connected and which packages are available. If your property is not yet serviceable, you can register your interest and we will let you know if availability changes.

Amphora Connect offers packages from 150 Mbps up to 2.5 Gbps. Your actual experience will also depend on your router, Wi-Fi coverage, connected devices and the capabilities of the websites or services you are using. A wired connection will normally provide the most consistent speed. Our latency to London is extremely low, 2-3ms - fantastic for online gaming. No other provider comes close.

Fibre or fibre optics is a technology for information transmission via flexible glass or plastic threads, slightly thicker than a strand of human hair. This technology allows data to travel at the speed of light and serves as a future-proof solution for internet connectivity as the speed and capacity of a fibre connection is almost unlimited. The term ‘fibre’ is often misused. What is often branded as ‘fibre broadband’ actually involves copper cable. This technology is known as ‘Fibre-to-the-Cabinet’ (FTTC) but it relies on a final leg of copper wire, from the roadside cabinet into the customer premises. This causes a bottleneck, resulting in slow and lost connections especially at ‘peak times’ of the day. ‘Fibre-to-the-Premises’ (FTTP), also known as ‘Full Fibre’, replaces the old copper wires with the latest technology in fibre optic cabling all the way to the actual premises, providing gigabit-capable connectivity and bandwidth. Full fibre brings many benefits, from symmetrical speed, high bandwidth and greater capacity to ultra-low latency, superior resilience and reliability. Every part of your connection, from Telehouse in London to your home, is full fibre.

One gigabit is the same as 1,000 megabits, so it’s a big leap forward in connection speeds that could benefit you (and/or your business) into the future. Full fibre also supports symmetrical connections, meaning upload and download speeds are the same, with upload and download speeds far higher than the UK national average. Although it is frequently reported that the UK now has more than 96% coverage for superfast broadband with speeds of 24 megabits per second or higher, this is not good enough. Most superfast connections still depend on copper telephone wires, which are limited in the speeds they can support. For the fastest and most reliable broadband, capable of delivering gigabit speeds, a full fibre connection is required.

Speed describes how fast your internet is – it is the performance of an internet connection, which is based on the number of bytes per second that data travels from the user’s device to the internet (upload) and from the internet (download). Depending on the type of connection, the speed differs dramatically. For most households, download speeds are what people are familiar with. That’s what we use for activities such as streaming TV, downloading music and browsing social media. Upload speeds come into play with things like video conferencing and uploading large files to a server or cloud. A full fibre connection (FTTP), with no copper, can offer much faster average speeds of one gigabit or more per second (Gbps), that’s 1,000 Mbps, both download and upload.

Latency describes how long it takes data to travel between its source and destination. It’s a useful measure of the time (delay in milliseconds: 1000ms = 1 second) that it takes for a packet of data to travel from your router to a remote server and then back again (ping). A lower number (shortest time = faster) is better for e.g., video conferencing or multiplayer games, where a low ping will result in smoother play. Full fibre enables significant reductions in network delay (‘latency’), if not eradicated, down to just 1 millisecond for many applications. This will significantly improve the experience on time-sensitive applications such as streaming, video calls or video games. Low latency is particularly important for applications that do not benefit from buffered data and instead require real-time control.

Yes. Full fibre provides a fixed, dedicated connection to the property and is not dependent on mobile signal strength, local radio congestion or weather conditions. Fibre will last for many years and is a dramatic leap in performance compared with old-fashioned copper cables. This is particularly relevant for customers who need consistent performance for home working, video calls, gaming or business use.

Yes. Full fibre is well suited to video meetings, cloud applications, VPNs and simultaneous use by multiple users.

Register your interest so that we can keep you up to date on progress in your area with updates. We’ll get in touch as soon as connection is ready for installation in your street. Once you have placed an order, we will be in touch with you to arrange a pre-installation survey to agree the scope of works for the installation itself.

If you do not own your property, you will need permission from your landlord. As set out in our T&Cs, you will need to obtain all necessary consents and permissions prior to installation taking place and provide us with these consents and permissions on request.

Once you place your order, we will confirm the next steps and arrange your installation where required. You should not cancel your existing broadband service until your Amphora Connect service is working, unless we specifically advise you to do so. In many cases, the changeover can be completed with little or no interruption, but the exact process depends on your existing provider and the type of service currently installed.

You may have early termination charges with your existing provider. Check your current contract before switching. We recommend that you do not cancel your existing service until your Amphora Connect connection has been installed and tested.

Amphora Connect broadband is delivered as a data service rather than through a traditional copper telephone line. If you currently use a landline for calls, medical alarms, security systems, fax machines or similar equipment, please tell us before ordering so we can discuss moving your services to our network.

Your service is supplied under a 24-month contract.

Subject to availability, you can normally change to another package after ordering. The new package may take effect from the next billing period or require a service change appointment, depending on the upgrade.

The fibre will be installed from a connection point at the property boundary. If your home or business is located some distance from the street, the fibre is usually laid using narrow trenching unless on the rare occasion, other solutions are required. In all instances we will be installing a new duct and fibre cable with our SDD (Service Demarcation Device). The engineer will then fit the network equipment SDD in your property which is normally mounted on the inside of the wall facing the street (this would be ground floor level for a house). This is a fibre converter and will ensure your connectivity to our network. Your router is installed and a speed test is carried out to check everything is working normally.

Yes, or your representative, provided they are 18 years or older.

If the engineer is not able to gain access to your property, we reserve the right to charge a £30 ‘No-Show Penalty’ and you will have to reschedule installation for a later date.

You can change or cancel, in good time, by calling us. If you decide to cancel or reschedule within 2 working days* of your scheduled appointment, we reserve the right to charge £30 (*Working days: Monday to Friday, not including public holidays).

For most standard connections, Amphora Connect do not charge an installation fee. This is however subject to survey, if an installation fee is applicable then the fee will be agreed and fixed before any works commence.

There is no upfront cost to the customer for Amphora Connect or its subcontractors to undertake a Standard Installation. We define a Standard Installation as the availability of a connection point on a telegraph pole within 50 metres of the customer premises; or the availability of a connection point in a pavement chamber with clear and usable ducting leading to the customer premises.

It is further defined as termination of the fibre connection to the customer premises on the inside of a front wall and does not include additional internal cable runs. In those cases where we find an installation falls outside this definition, we will advise the customer accordingly, and where appropriate, advise potential solutions including undertaking required works at the customer's cost or explaining to the customer how an appropriate fibre route could be created.

Please contact us via enquiries@amphoraconnect.co.uk or call our helpdesk on 0333 311 0003 between the hours of 8am and 5pm 5 days a week.

The installation appointment itself will usually take a few hours, although the exact time depends on the route into your property and the work required. We will agree an appointment with you, discuss the proposed equipment location and test the service before completing the installation. The earliest available appointment will depend on engineer availability and any necessary permissions. At the current time, due to the complexities of obtaining the required wayleaves, we do not install to MDUs.

Installation is normally straightforward, but some minor drilling or internal cable routing may be required. We will discuss the proposed route and equipment location with you before work begins. The final arrangement depends on the position of the existing network, the property layout and where you want the router installed. We will aim to keep disruption to a minimum and leave the work area tidy.

You may need permission if you rent your property, live in a leasehold property or share access routes with other residents. If a wayleave or other permission is needed, we will explain this before installation.

Yes. Your package includes an Amphora Connect router suitable for the service ordered. The exact equipment may vary according to the package and the technical requirements of your address. For larger homes or properties with difficult Wi-Fi coverage, additional access points or a mesh system may be appropriate.

Customers who want to use their own router should contact us before ordering so we can confirm compatibility and the required settings. Static IP addresses can be purchased for an additional, modest monthly fee.

Standard installations are fully free, including all required works and network equipment, including your router. We will work with the customer where the installation is non-standard, to look at ways in which a cost-effective solution might be found. In some cases, this will require us to secure a designated level of local take-up.

Whilst long-awaited gigabit internet speeds are finally coming to you, are you and your devices ready to upgrade to gigabit internet? To benefit from Gigabit speeds, you should ensure that you and your devices are able to take advantage of the new potential speeds. To ensure you get the best benefits of gigabit internet, you need the right wired connections. It’s particularly important to sort out the wired connection from our SDD to your router. The Service Demarcation Device (SDD) is our custom-made network equipment – a fibre converter that ensures your connectivity to the wider network. As most of you will be connecting to gigabit services through a wireless router, you should check that your devices support the latest standards to benefit from the promised speed. Our chosen customer router is of the 802.11ax standard (or Wi-Fi 6). If you wish to use your own router, and you are welcome to do so, you need a Wi-Fi 6 model to ensure you can make the most of your new connection. To achieve the highest level of speeds possible, we recommend you connect devices using ethernet cables wherever possible.

You can cancel your contract within the cooling-off period (14 days after installation). If you cancel after this date, you will be liable to pay the remaining balance of the service for the full term.

We can provide you with a static public IP address, please see our products for details on pricing.

In order to diagnose any speed issues, it is required initially to conduct a speed test with a computer and an ethernet cable connected directly to any of the LAN ports on the SDD. There are dozens of speed test sites, many of which can give spurious test results. For the most accurate assessment of your connection, we recommend that you install the Ookla desktop Speedtest app and use that.

There are a lot of factors playing into the functionality and reach of WiFi connectivity, such as: wall material, wall thickness, floor and roof material, floor and roof thickness. WiFi connections can never reach the speed attainable over ethernet cables

There are a lot of factors that play into the functionality and reach of WiFi. Ensure your router is placed high up in the centre of your home for maximum coverage. Consider using a wired connection or moving closer to the router if you are working on WiFi. If you still experience fluctuating speeds due to physical obstruction or distance from the router, we can advise on WiFi boosters or a ‘mesh’ system. We are also happy to quote for customers wanting internal hard-wired network sockets or network extensions.

Contact our support team and we will investigate the fault, identify whether the issue is with the network, the router or your internal Wi-Fi, and keep you updated. If the broadband service is working but Wi-Fi is poor in part of the property, we can help identify whether the issue is caused by the router location, building construction or coverage requirements.

Contact us before moving. We will check whether Amphora Connect is available at your new address and explain the options for transferring, cancelling or starting a new service.

Amphora Connect is already connecting homes and businesses in Colchester, Wivenhoe and West Mersea, with further properties being added as the network expands. Please check your post code and reach out if you may have any further questions.

Amphora Connect has a direct interest in delivering a reliable service in the communities where it operates. Our network is designed, managed and supported by a local provider, giving customers a clear point of contact rather than dealing only with a large national brand. Our network is Colchester-based, with a footprint reaching to Clacton, Ipswich, Braintree, Harlow, Wivenhoe and West Mersea.