SoGEA stands for Single Order Generic Ethernet Access. In plain English, it is broadband delivered over the same fibre-to-the-cabinet infrastructure your business probably already uses, but without requiring a traditional phone line. You get the internet connection without the landline rental you may no longer need.
If that sounds straightforward, it is. The reason it matters right now is the UK’s PSTN switch-off. By 31 January 2027, every traditional analogue and ISDN phone line in the country will be permanently disconnected. Businesses that currently get their broadband bundled with a phone line will need to move to a standalone broadband product. For most premises where full fibre is not yet available, SoGEA is that product.
How SoGEA Differs from Your Current Broadband
Most UK businesses currently use FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) broadband. This runs a fibre optic cable from the exchange to a green street cabinet, then copper from the cabinet to your premises. It requires an active phone line, even if you never make a call on it.
SoGEA uses exactly the same physical infrastructure, the same fibre to the cabinet and copper to the premises, but removes the phone line requirement. The connection is broadband-only. You get the same speeds (up to 80Mbps download, 20Mbps upload) without paying for a landline you do not use.
The practical differences are small but meaningful. There is no separate phone line rental charge, typically £15 to £25 per month that businesses can save. Installation is a single order rather than one for the phone line and another for broadband. And because there is one less service running over the copper, connections tend to be more stable with fewer fault points.
What Happens to Your Phone Calls
Moving to SoGEA does not mean giving up business phone calls. It means your calls will run over your broadband connection using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) instead of an analogue phone line.
In practice, this means you can keep your existing business phone number. Your provider will port it to a cloud-hosted phone system that routes calls over the internet. The quality is typically better than traditional calls, and you gain features like call routing, voicemail to email, mobile app integration and the ability to take calls from anywhere.
If your business already uses a cloud phone system or Microsoft Teams for calling, SoGEA is a natural fit. You are already making calls over the internet; SoGEA simply removes the legacy phone line underneath your broadband that you are no longer using.
SoGEA vs FTTP: Which Should You Choose?
Full Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) delivers a fibre optic cable directly to your building, offering speeds of up to 1Gbps. It is faster, more reliable, and the future of UK connectivity.
However, FTTP is not yet available everywhere. Openreach’s full fibre rollout continues, but many business premises, particularly outside major city centres, do not have access yet.
Where FTTP is available, it is generally the better long-term choice. Where it is not, SoGEA is the practical next step. It future-proofs your broadband setup ahead of the PSTN switch-off while delivering reliable speeds for day-to-day business use including video calls, cloud software and payment systems.
Check with your communications provider to find out which options are available at your premises.
Do You Need a New Router?
In most cases, yes. Your broadband provider will typically supply a new router configured for SoGEA. Even if your existing FTTC router is technically compatible, using the supplied equipment ensures the connection is set up correctly and avoids compatibility issues.
The changeover is straightforward. A standard SoGEA installation involves a single engineer visit, and most businesses experience minimal disruption during the switch.
Why You Should Act Before 2027
The PSTN switch-off is not a gradual process. On 31 January 2027, every service still running on the old copper phone network stops working. That includes phone lines, broadband services that depend on those lines, and any devices connected through them, from alarms to card machines.
Businesses that migrate early avoid the rush. As the deadline approaches, demand for installations, engineer visits, and equipment will increase sharply. Migrating now gives you time to test the new setup, train your team, and resolve any issues before they become urgent.
For a complete checklist of what needs migrating before the deadline, read our ISDN switch-off checklist.
If you are unsure whether your broadband setup is ready for the switch-off, contact The Unite Group. We will check what you currently have, confirm what is available at your premises, and make sure you are ready well ahead of the deadline.