SoGEA Broadband
Get fibre broadband without the phone line with SoGEA. This streamlined, single-order service gives you the speed and reliability of a fibre connection, perfect for VoIP calls and cloud-based applications. It simplifies your billing and installation, making it the perfect upgrade for modern businesses.
SoGEA (Single Order Generic Ethernet Access) is a technology that delivers a broadband-only service over a part-fibre network, without the need for an underlying analogue phone line. It is the data-only replacement for Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) and is part of Openreach’s transition to an all-IP network, ahead of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) switch-off.
Technical Operation
SoGEA uses a hybrid network model. Fibre optic cables run from the local telephone exchange to a street cabinet (Primary Connection Point, or PCP). From the cabinet to the end-user’s premises, the connection is carried over the existing copper wiring.
The data transmission over the final copper leg uses VDSL2 (Very-high-speed Digital Subscriber Line 2) technology, the same used for FTTC services. This technology allows for superfast download speeds of up to 80 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 20 Mbps, with performance depending on the distance from the street cabinet.
The “Single Order” aspect of SoGEA is a technical and operational distinction. Instead of placing two separate orders for a Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) phone line and a broadband service, providers can now order a single, consolidated data-only product. This simplifies the ordering process, streamlines billing and reduces the time to resolve faults.
Unlike traditional FTTC, the SoGEA connection is a pure data circuit, with the analogue voice component removed. This eliminates interference and noise from traditional voice services, which can lead to a more stable and reliable broadband connection.