The short answer
FTTP means fibre to the premises. Fibre runs all the way to your home, so it does not rely on the old copper phone line for the final connection.
SOGEA means Single Order Generic Ethernet Access. It can provide broadband without a traditional phone service, but the connection normally still uses copper for the final part from the street cabinet to the property.
Which should you check first?
- Choose FTTP first if it is available at a sensible price.
- Use SOGEA as a fallback when full fibre is not ready at your address.
- Consider 5G home broadband if you rent, need a quick setup or cannot arrange fixed-line installation.
| Feature | SOGEA | FTTP |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional landline required? | No analogue phone service required | No copper phone line required |
| Final connection | Usually copper from cabinet to home | Fibre all the way to the home |
| Typical speed ceiling | Lower and distance-sensitive | Higher, with gigabit tiers in many areas |
| Best use case | Transitional option where FTTP is not ready | Preferred long-term option where available |
Which should you choose?
If FTTP is available at your address at a sensible price, it is usually the better long-term choice. It is faster, less dependent on copper line quality and better aligned with the retirement of older phone infrastructure.
If FTTP is not available, SOGEA can still be a useful step away from traditional line rental and analogue voice. The main thing is to compare it honestly rather than treating it as identical to full fibre.
How speed, upload and reliability differ
SOGEA speeds depend heavily on copper line length and quality. Two homes on the same street can get different results because the copper route back to the cabinet is different. Upload speeds are usually much lower than download speeds.
FTTP is less distance-sensitive because fibre reaches the property. It usually supports faster downloads, stronger uploads and more headroom for busy homes with streaming, video calls, gaming and cloud backups happening at the same time.
Questions to ask before ordering
- Does the provider describe the package as FTTP, full fibre, fibre to the premises or SOGEA?
- What average download and upload speeds are advertised?
- Does the contract include a digital voice service, or broadband only?
- What happens if your home alarm, care device or payment terminal uses the old phone socket?
When SOGEA is still the right answer
SOGEA can still be sensible if you need broadband now, full fibre is not available, and 5G signal is unreliable indoors. It is also familiar to many providers, often reusing the existing master socket and avoiding a new external fibre route.
Compare providers by connection type before you commit. If FTTP and SOGEA are both available, check total cost and contract length side by side.
Read the full fibre guide