As you’ve likely heard by now, BT plans to turn off the ISDN network by 2025. As part of this process, BT is introducing a new broadband service: SOGEA. But what is SOGEA, and will your business benefit from using it? I’ve put this article together using information available from many sources to tell you all you need to know in one place.

What is SOGEA broadband? SOGEA is a broadband-only connection available in the UK. SOGEA stands for Single Order Generic Ethernet Access. Instead of paying for voice services, you simply pay for broadband, which VoIP can be carried over.

Obviously, my above answer is succinct and doesn’t go into a lot of detail. Throughout the rest of this article, I’m going to break down what SOGEA is, how it will benefit businesses, and explain all you need to know ahead of its launch.

What Does SOGEA Mean?

SOGEA stands for Single Order Generic Ethernet Access – not the sexiest of broadband names! But what does single order generic ethernet access actually mean?

SOGEA is a service that will allow providers to offer a standalone broadband service, without bundling it with a landline service. This will allow providers to slightly reduce the cost whilst offering fast and reliable broadband to consumers.

Most businesses don’t want a landline service anymore. More businesses worldwide are moving over to digital solutions such as VoIP telephone systems, so traditional landlines are often no longer needed. Not only are traditional landlines antiquated, but they’re often very expensive. Is it any wonder businesses don’t want them?

SOGEA will allow consumers to buy just broadband, rather than voice services and broadband. Since most businesses only use broadband, this is a welcome offering for most.

Will SOGEA Be Cheaper Than Other Options, Such As FTTC?

Since SOGEA will allow you to purchase standalone fibre broadband, you might wonder how cheap it’ll be. After all, you’re only buying the fibre broadband line without the voice service.

According to BT Wholesale, SOGEA will be around 30 percent cheaper to providers than their GEA-FTTC service. What does this mean for consumers? SOGEA will be cheaper than FTTC services. Unfortunately, the price difference to consumers won’t be that significant. Here’s why.

SOGEA connections are almost identical to FTTC. They use the same infrastructure to establish a connection. The primary difference is that FTTC products are broadband and voice services bundled, whereas SOGEA’s just broadband.

This means the same lines are used from the exchange to the roadside cabinet and the roadside cabinet to your building. Since the same lines are used, the only difference is the lack of voice service on top of the lines with a SOGEA product. As the voice service isn’t that expensive anyway, the cost difference to consumers isn’t significant.

How Fast Will SOGEA Broadband Be?

SOGEA will likely be slightly cheaper than FTTC broadband packages while using exactly the same infrastructure. So how fast will SOGEA broadband be?

Single order generic ethernet access broadband will provide FTTC speeds to consumers. This is to be expected, since the same infrastructure is used. I anticipate that providers will sell SOGEA broadband at 40:10 and 80:20, although it remains to be seen. Most providers sell FTTC at those speeds, so it should remain the same with SOGEA.

If SOGEA broadband speeds are anything like FTTC (which they will be!) the speeds will differ greatly depending on your distance from the roadside cabinet. The FTTC speed your business receives is highly dependent on the distance between your office and the nearest roadside cabinet.

This handy graph from Increase Broadband Speed demonstrates how big an impact your distance from the cabinet servicing your building can have.

I would expect that SOGEA broadband speeds would be impacted in exactly the same way, as this has always been one of the biggest drawbacks of the way FTTC infrastructure works. With that in mind, no one can say for sure how fast SOGEA will be for everyone in the country.

If you have FTTC at the moment and it’s superfast, you can expect similar speeds with SOGEA. On the other hand, if you have FTTC and it’s slow, SOGEA probably won’t be any different.

If you want to know which speeds you should get with fibre to the cabinet, there are plenty of free checks available that will give you a rough idea of the speeds available. You can get a free availability check here, which will also tell you the speeds you can expect from each type of internet circuit.

Has SOGEA Launched?

No, SOGEA has not yet launched across the UK, although extensive trials have been conducted. With promising results, an initial launch date of the 31st of January was announced. In December, Openreach confirmed a delay due to a “rising trend in Early Life Failures”. The latest intended launch date of 1st March 2020 has been seemingly delayed due to the Coronavirus pandemic, with BT only conducting emergency work at the time of writing.

As a result of the virus, Openreach has issued a status of MBORC – which means Matters Beyond Our Reasonable Control. This has put a stop to most new broadband provisions, as well as anything other than crucial repairs. After this period of uncertainty, it can only be presumed that SOGEA will be rolled out as quickly as possible.

How Does SOGEA Differ From FTTC?

As you’ve undoubtedly noticed, SOGEA and FTTC are very similar broadband services. They use the same infrastructure, they offer the same or similar speeds, and they’re similarly priced.

Honestly, the two types of broadband barely differ. The main difference is SOGEA is data-only, whereas FTTC is data and voice. Since digital voice services such as VoIP are rising in popularity and replacing traditional phone lines, having a phone line is less important than ever.

A 2018 survey conducted by ISPreview revealed that 67.2% of readers revealed they’d get rid of their landline if it wasn’t needed by most providers for home broadband. I can only imagine that the same applies to business customers, most of which don’t even use their landline. In fact, the same ISPreview survey revealed that only 14.5% of participants still use a landline phone service for making calls.

Rumors persist that SOGEA will rapidly replace FTTC altogether over the coming years as Openreach gradually phase out analog phone services. SOGEA is a better service for providers and consumers alike when you consider it’s cheaper, you only pay for what you’re using, and it further encourages the move over to digital services.

Using FTTC? Do you intend to move over to SOGEA broadband instead? If you have any questions about the switch to digital, please feel free to leave a comment below. I’ll happily answer any questions that you have about SOGEA or broadband developments in general.

Is your business looking into superfast business broadband? Then you might have heard of FTTC and FTTP. Fibre to the cabinet and fibre to the premises are two examples of superfast internet circuits available in the UK. However, are you asking which of the two is better?

Is FTTP Better Than FTTC? Yes, FTTP is better than FTTC. FTTP offers downstream speeds of up to 1Gbps, whereas FTTC offers downstream speeds of up to 80Mbps.

You might wonder why fibre to the premises is so much better than fibre to the cabinet. I will explain all you need to know about the differences between them.

FTTC v FTTP: What’s The Difference?

Here’s a diagram that digestibly shows the main difference between FTTC and FTTP: the infrastructure used to establish each internet circuit.

FTTC: FTTC combines fibre optic cable and copper wire to provide connectivity to properties. Fibre optic cable runs from the local exchange to a cabinet (the green boxes you’ll see on the street). Copper wire then runs from the cabinet to your property to provide you with a voice and data connection.

FTTC is available to 95% of the UK, so chances are it’s available to your business. Although FTTC is capable of speeds up to 80Mbps, your distance from the roadside cabinet impacts the speeds you’ll experience. Since old copper wire carries the data from the cabinet to your property, the further away you are, the slower your internet.

FTTC uses existing infrastructure to provide connectivity. It is often cheaper to install than FTTP because the infrastructure is available and ready to use.

FTTP: Fibre to the premises is a full fibre connection. FTTP doesn’t combine fibre and copper; it uses full fibre optic from the exchange to your property. It is the fastest internet circuit available unless you opted for a leased line.

Don’t get your hopes up about upgrading to FTTP just yet. FTTP is only available to approximately 3% of the UK, according to a 2017 OFCOM report. This means that FTTP might not even be available to your business yet, depending on the area that you are based in. The UK government has set a target of rolling out to 15 million premises by 2025, with full coverage available by 2033. If you want to find out whether or not FTTP is available to your business, you can find out for free here.

FTTP replaces most of the existing infrastructure, which is the reason it isn’t widely available at the moment. Installing FTTP often requires extensive work, such as digging up footpaths and roads.

Is FTTP More Expensive Than FTTC?

A fibre to the premises internet circuit offers far greater speeds than fibre to the cabinet, but how much does the price differ?

Fibre to the premises costs more than fibre to the cabinet, and the installation costs could be higher too. However, you’ll have a reliable, full-fibre connection that your business can rely on. I personally would choose fibre to the premises over fibre to the cabinet any day of the week. Particularly now fibre to the premises is becoming more affordable and widely available.

The price that you’ll pay for your broadband will differ on factors such as your location, the length of your contract, and whether or not you have an SLA in place. You can expect to pay around £50 per month for fibre to the cabinet in most UK locations. For FTTP, you can expect to pay around £90 per month in most locations.

In short, yes, fibre to the premises is more expensive than FTTP. While it is more expensive, you’re paying for a reliable connection offering brilliant speeds.

Is FTTC Any Good?

There are plenty of business broadband choices available. With that in mind, you might be wondering whether FTTC is actually any good. Although FTTC is one of the standard offerings now available, it is a superfast connection.

The speeds of an FTTC connection can differ due to numerous factors. For example, the bandwidth available to your business will lower the further you are from the roadside cabinet. If the roadside cabinet is close to your property, you’ll enjoy superfast speeds constantly. The further away from the roadside cabinet, the slower your internet. This is because a copper connection joins your property and the roadside cabinet. Copper carries data slowly, so the longer the wire the slower your internet will be.

As I said earlier in this blog post, FTTC is widely available in the UK. Approximately 95% of the UK have speeds of 30Mbps+ available to them, according to Broadband Genie. Speeds of 30Mbps and above are likely enough for most businesses in the UK that only use the internet lightly.

How Fast Is FTTC?

Internet service providers advertise FTTC speeds of up to 80Mbps downstream and 20Mbps upstream. The true speeds available to your business with fibre to the cabinet differ greatly depending on several factors, such as:

• Your distance from the roadside cabinet

• The number of businesses using internet in your area

There are other factors that impact FTTC speeds, such as electromagnetic interference. Here’s why the above factors impact the speeds you’ll enjoy with FTTC, and how much of an impact they actually have.

Your Distance From The Roadside Cabinet

Your distance from the roadside cabinet has the biggest impact on the speeds available to your business. As I said earlier in this blog post, the nearer your property to the cabinet, the greater the speeds available to your business.

This informative graphic from Increase Broadband Speed demonstrates how speeds available can differ based on your distance from the roadside cabinet.

As you can see from the graph, speeds drop off very quickly. Only 1km from the street cabinet and you’ll have a maximum downstream speed of around 30Mbps.

Technology has improved since the creation of the above graph, but the fall in speeds as shown on the graph is still a big issue for businesses using fibre to the cabinet.

The Number of Businesses Using Internet In Your Area

If there are several businesses in your area that are serviced by the same roadside cabinet that you are, at peak times you’ll find the performance of your internet might be very poor. Why? Because of contention.

Fibre to the cabinet is a contended broadband service. This means you are sharing the line with several other businesses in the area. If other businesses in your area are hogging bandwidth, you’ll have poor internet speeds.

Although you might enjoy the maximum speeds available at off-peak times, you’ll find that between 9 – 5, your broadband might be unreliable.

How Do I Increase My FTTC Speed?

Is your FTTC connection too slow? I know that a lot of businesses have to deal with this issue. Fortunately, you can improve your FTTC speed in multiple ways, such as:

• FTTC Bonding
• G.Fast Technology

FTTC Bonding

Bonded FTTC can provide faster and more reliable broadband for your business.

With bonding technology, telecom providers can combine several individual FTTC connections to create one integrated service. This means increased bandwidth and superior speeds for an inexpensive price.

FTTC bonding is one way that you can increase FTTC speeds.

G.Fast Technology

G.Fast is a relatively new technology that can be applied to the copper line at the roadside cabinet. G.Fast technology will drastically increase the speeds available to your business.

G.Fast technology is rapidly rolling out across the UK and is a better option for businesses than standard FTTC. Installation is simple, as it simply requires some modifications to how your line works in the roadside cabinet.

With G.Fast technology, you can have fibre speeds over copper wires. It’s worth noting that G.Fast won’t speed up your broadband if you’re far away from the roadside cabinet. The technology loses its effectiveness if properties are quite a distance from the cabinet, so this isn’t the best option for your business if you are.

Conclusion: Is FTTC Right For My Business?

I find the answer to this question differs based on several factors. For most businesses, standard FTTC or adapted FTTC will provide a reliable, superfast solution. For most SMEs with light internet usage and around 10 employees or less, FTTC is a brilliant option.

For larger businesses, or businesses with significant internet usage, a better solution – such as FTTP or a dedicated leased line – would be better.

I hope you found this blog post useful. If you have any questions that I haven’t answered, please leave a comment below. I’m more than happy to offer advice on any points relating to business broadband.

What are NGNs, or NGN numbers? Business owners ask this question a lot because they’ve heard of NGNs and their benefits but don’t know what the acronym stands for. I come from a telecoms background, so I wrote this blog post to offer a comprehensive answer to this question.

What are NGNs? NGN is an acronym of non-geographic number. A non-geographic number is a number type not linked to any specific location.

Some examples of NGNs available to UK businesses are:

• 080 NGNs
• 09 NGNs
• 03 NGNs

These are just a few examples of NGNs available to UK businesses. While some NGNs are available to all businesses, certain numbers are only available to certain types of businesses. Read on to find out all you need to know about NGNs, including which NGNs are available to your business and how much each number costs on average.

Types of Non-Geographic Number: A Comprehensive List

There are loads of non-geographic numbers available, all with different uses. This is a comprehensive list of NGNs. I’m also explaining how these numbers are used by businesses based in the UK.

03 NGNs

The 03 number range is one of the most popular in the UK. Thousands of UK businesses use 03 numbers as an inexpensive alternative to 08 numbers. In June 2014, Ofcom made changes to the rules for 0870 and 0844 numbers. Businesses can no longer use 0870 and 0844 numbers for post-contract customer service (customers calling customer service lines could end up spending a fortune on a call when these numbers were used). This is a big reason for the 03 number range’s rise in popularity, as businesses must now offer a local-rate customer service line and therefore often use 03 numbers.

Calls to 03 numbers cost no more than calls to geographic numbers. Bundles with inclusive minutes to geo numbers must also include 03 numbers.

Calls to 03 numbers typically range from 2 to 10p per minute from landlines, while calls from mobiles can cost between 10 and 40p per minute. If you have a mobile or landline with inclusive minutes, calls to 03 numbers will not cost you anything.

The information I’ve detailed above applies to all of the following 03 prefixes:

• 0300
• 0301
• 0302
• 0303
• 0306
• 0330
• 0331
• 0332
• 0333
• 0343
• 0344
• 0345
• 0370
• 0371
• 0372

030 numbers are not available to all businesses. 030 numbers are only available to not-for-profit organisations, charities and public bodies. These organisations use 030 numbers to offer business and domestic consumers a single point of contact across the entire country.

Some examples of organisations using 030 numbers are:

• The BBC
• The RSPCA
• Ofcom
• Government departments

070 NGNs

Although 070 numbers may look like mobile numbers, they’re actually personal non-geographic numbers. These numbers are available to offer the functionality on non-geo numbers to individuals.

Why do individuals use these numbers? Usually, people would use these numbers so they had a single contact number. With an 070 NGN, they can divert calls to their home, work or mobile phones as needed.

Small businesses and sole traders often use 070 numbers, so it’s not just individuals that use them. Small businesses and sole traders use 070s to easily manage incoming calls.

As you can imagine, 070 virtual numbers are extremely controversial. Previously, calls to these numbers would be charged at a premium rate. This could cause confusion since at first glance 070 numbers appear to be mobile numbers.

Since 1 October 2019, Ofcom capped the termination rate for calls to these numbers at the same rate as calls to UK numbers. This means phone providers can include calls to these numbers within monthly allowances, or charge them at the same rate as calling a mobile number.

080 NGNs

The 08 range of NGN numbers are known as free-to-caller numbers. This type of number is exactly what it says on the tin: a number that is free to people calling a business.

Several helplines and government services make use of 0800 and 0808 numbers, such as Age UK and Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Calls to 0800 and 0808 numbers are free from mobiles and landlines alike. From around 2005 onwards, mobile phone operators went through a period of charging callers to dial most freephone numbers. However, this changed with new Ofcom regulation in July 2015. Whether you’re using a landline or a mobile, you can dial these numbers free of charge.

With 0800 and 0808 numbers, the organisation receiving the calls pays the call costs. If you want to establish trust, 0800 and 0808 numbers are ideal. Callers know that these numbers are free-to-callers, so they’re more likely to phone your business if you’re using one, knowing that the call will be free.

084 NGNs

Calling an 084 number will incur a cost for callers, as these numbers are not included in bundles. The cost of calling an 084 number is split into two charges: an access charge and a service charge.

The service charge differs depending on the organisation that you’re phoning. The access charge is decided by your phone company. The access charge is the fee that your phone company charge you for phoning 084 numbers.

Calls to 0843 and 0844 numbers from landlines are charged between 1 and 13p per minute. Calls from mobiles are typically charged between 40 and 55p per minute. The price varies based on the number phoned and the caller’s provider.

Calls to 0845 numbers are usually charged at between 1 and 10p per minute for callers using a landline. Calls from mobiles are again higher, usually 40 to 55p per minute.

087 NGNs

As with the 084 numbers, calling these numbers will incur a cost for the caller. These numbers are also not included in bundles. The cost of calling an 087 NGN is split into an access charge and a service charge.

Calls to 087 numbers consist of a service charge of up to 13p per minute and /or 13p per call. This doesn’t include the access charge set by the caller’s communications provider. Typically, the access charge cost will range from 7p to 45p per minute depending on the caller’s provider.

To give an idea of how much a call to an 087 number typically costs, you can expect the call to cost the caller between 7 to 58p per minute. As consumers know that calls to 087 numbers are going to incur a cost, there’s a lack of inclination to phone these numbers unless it’s absolutely necessary for the caller.

118 NGNs

118 non-geographic numbers are directory enquiry numbers. Calls to these numbers can be very expensive. Depending on the directory enquiry service and the phone company the consumer is calling from, the cost incurred can vary greatly.

Calls to 118 numbers can cost a one-off charge of up 10 £10.50, in addition to up to £5 per minute from a landline. From a mobile phone, some networks will charge a one-off charge of up to £6.98. In addition, charges can cost up to £5 per minute. Some networks charge on a per-minute basis, with charges ranging from £1.50 to £4.50 per minute.

To find out how much a call to a 118 number will charge, you can check the Uboss online facility here.

09 NGNs

09 non-geographic numbers have various uses. These numbers are typically used for competitions, TV voting, chat lines and professional advice services amongst other things.

These premium rate numbers are regulated by the PSA (the Phone-paid Services Authority). Landline providers usually charge callers up to £2.60 per minute, whereas mobile networks usually charge between 50p and £2.55 per minute or per call.

These numbers can be very lucrative for businesses, particularly if you have an upcoming competition of some sort. With an enticing offer, you can receive a large number of calls and ultimately make a large sum of money.

Related Questions

Now we’ve covered the different types of non-geographic number, I’ve gone through a few related questions below. I get asked these questions a lot, so I thought it was worthwhile going over them.

What Are The Benefits of Using Non-Geographic Numbers?

Non-geographic numbers, and virtual numbers in general, have wide-ranging benefits. Originally, NGNs offered functionality that wasn’t available with standard landline numbers.

These are some of the main benefits of NGN numbers:

• Easy call routing: Calls to NGNs can be diverted to virtually any location. You can point your virtual number at a mobile or any other fixed number, such as a call centre.
• Location Neutrality: Are businesses with geographic numbers perceived to have a limited scope? I personally think so, and so do thousands of potential customers. With a non-geo number, your business isn’t associated with any particular location in the UK. Basically, they make your business look much larger.
• Increased Resilience: If you have a standard landline, there are circumstances where it might become unusable. NGNs allow for all incoming calls to be redirected to alternative fixed numbers whenever needed.

What Is A Geo Number?

Geo numbers are also known as geographic numbers. A geographic number is a number available in the UK where the first part of its structure is geographically significant. Geographic numbers always begin with the digits ’01’ and ’02’.

Consumers recognise geographic telephone numbers. Because of greater recognition, consumers will inherently trust geo numbers in a way that they don’t trust non-geographic numbers.

You can purchase geo numbers from several communications providers in the UK. Ofcom administers the numbers to communications providers, enabling them to provide services to businesses and domestic consumers.