FTTC, SoGEA & FTTP
Broadband types can be confusing, especially with terms like FTTC, SoGEA and FTTP often used interchangeably or incorrectly. Technology moves fast, and different names are sometimes used for the same thing, making it even harder to understand. This guide explains each broadband type clearly so you can make the right choice for your home or business.
Fibre To The Cabinet (FTTC)
“FTTC” is a connection where a copper cable carries Internet and Voice calls to the property from the Cabinet.
- It is NOT Full Fibre due to the copper cable to the property.
- It uses the traditional Telephone Socket on the Wall.
- The Router and Landline Handset plug into the traditional “ADSL Filter”, which has been around for around 15+ years.
- Internet speeds are up to 80 Mbps, but the Internet is slower due to splitting the bandwidth for both Internet and traditional Voice Calls via the telephone socket on the wall.
Think of FTTC like a 4 lane Motorway, with 3 lanes used for internet and 1 lane for traditional voice calls.
Single order Generic Ethernet Access (SoGEA)
A SoGEA connection also uses an “FTTC” (Fibre To The Cabinet) Connection but in this case the copper cable carries Internet ONLY, to the property from the Cabinet.
- Sometimes called “Fibre 40” or “Fibre 80”.
- It is NOT Full Fibre due to the copper cable to the property.
- It uses the traditional Telephone Socket on the Wall.
- The Router plugs into the traditional “ADSL Filter”, which has been around for around 15+ years.
- Broadband speeds are up to 80MBPS and are more likely, but NOT guaranteed, to be much higher than FTTC due to NOT splitting the bandwidth for both Internet and traditional Voice Calls via the telephone socket on the wall.
- No Landline available – If a landline number is desired, then the customer needs a VoIP Service.
- When upgrading from FTTC to SoGEA, porting these Landline Numbers is extremely difficult, but not impossible.
Think of SoGEA like a 4 lane Motorway, with 4 lanes used for the internet.
Fibre To The Property (FTTP)
FTTP (Fibre To The Property) Connection, where a Fibre optic cable runs to the property for Internet Only
- Sometimes called “Full Fibre”.
- FTTP is “Full Fibre”.
- Uses its own “Optical Network Terminator” (ONT) installed in the Property. Below are examples for Open Reach Network users.
- An Ethernet Cable connects the ONT to the Red ‘WAN’ socket on the Router.
- Speeds are up to 1000MBPS (with some providers) with scope to go much, much higher in the future.
- No Landline available – If a landline number is desired, then the customer needs a VoIP Service.
In conclusion and the future
FTTP connections are going to be the way forward due to the capacity/bandwidth that a Fibre cable can carry, but it is going to take quite a few years before it is available everywhere around the UK. That’s if it is possible to have it everywhere.
FTTC has got to be phased out due to “The Big Switch Off” and the retirement of the “Telephone Exchange Systems”, meaning the Copper Cables will be with us for quite some time to come, but will be used for the SoGEA Broadband connections.
SoGEA will be the stepping stone or bridge between FTTC and FTTP. Think of the Internet connectivity like a Tree growing its roots underground, ready for growth.
The Full Fibre connections are the thick roots and the SoGEA connections are the smaller roots, until they have grown into thicker roots.
Hopefully, this helps others learn because SoGEA Connections are going to be around for quite a while.
