SoGEA: Our industry's next great shake-up?

We’ve heard the term and we’ve said the term plenty, but what exactly is SoGEA?

Single Order Generic Ethernet Access (SoGEA) is a new Openreach product which enables providers to order FTTC without a phone line – you’ve got everything you need within a single order. SoGEA will bring a big shakeup to telecoms in the UK and it is one that we cannot ignore.

Why SoGEA?

Currently most homes and businesses connect to Openreach’s infrastructure using WLR with broadband then added on top. Zen, like most other ISPs, then bundle these together as packages by default.

However, in the world of technology today most people only have this fixed line because it is necessary for their broadband to work. With the advancement and cost effectiveness of mobile handsets and VoIP, and the nationwide rollout of full fibre networks, there is less and less requirement for old phone services.

SoGEA was created in response to this shift in usage so consumers and businesses can buy a broadband connection without the need for a phone line. Instead, your customers can get a voice service on a SoGEA line although it will need to be an IP-based solution like VoIP.

What are the benefits of SoGEA?

Openreach claim that SoGEA is 50% quicker to install and comes with lower install and rental costs. You’ll also only have one order to manage, so you can deliver much more efficiently to your customers.

But on the flip side, SoGEA doesn’t offer any access to the voice network, so it’s important to remember if your customers want a voice service you’ll need to offer an additional VoIP product.

While SoGEA won’t make a big difference to the overall price of broadband, it has the potential to be the most disruptive change in the telecoms industry since the introduction of affordable, high-speed FTTC services.

SoGEA is currently in the Early Market Deployment phase–the final stage before full commercial launch with >130,000 SoGEA services live, up to 15,000 orders per week and at 95% on time delivery.

We expect Openreach's commercial launch to begin next month and we are actively working to get everything ready for a Zen launch in June. In the meantime, please visit our website to learn more about the current products and services we have available to you here. We will also be hosting a webinar about SoGEA in June and will share more details soon.