How is broadband currently delivered?
Internet access for most business is delivered through a telephone line in your offices and the broadband or internet runs over this. Even if you are in an area that has access to fibre broadband it is more than likely still delivered to your office over a telephone line. The fibre part of the internet is connected into the green cabinets you see at the side of the road, then from their it is a copper connection into your office.
You are paying line rental but dont really need the line….
Most people only have a phone line because it is necessary for their broadband to work. With technology advancing particularly around IP based phone systems (VoIP) where calls are made through the internet now, there is less demand for the traditional phone line rental service. In days gone by the traditional telephone line used to deliver the internet connection down used to double up as a fax machine as well but lets not go down that rabbit hole, fax is dead, long live email attachments!
SoGEA (great name by the way Openreach) was created in response to this shift in usage (particularly around people using the internet to make calls) so businesses can buy a broadband connection without the need for a traditional phone line. Now firstly, nobody is going to retire off the back of switching to SoGEA because realistically you are going to save around £200 per year not having line rental to pay but it’s not just about the saving. There are no fiddly ADSL filters to fit, it uses less links in the chain to get to your office and it is also much more reliable and, internet is the one thing no business can go without.
Do I need any new hardware and will it be faster?
SoGEA is based on the same technology as Fibre internet connections. There will however be no analogue phone line port needed, you might however need to look at your existing phone system if it is more than 8 years old and runs down traditional phone lines. If this is the case a new VoIP phone system should be a consideration before moving to SoGEA.
Aside from the phone system if you are currently on very slow ADSL broadband, a move to SoGEA would require a new router which is more often than not supplied by the Company providing your internet anyway for free.
Even if you are currently on Fibre broadband we would still recommend moving over to SoGEA based on the fact you are going to save around £200 per year with no line rental and it is more reliable.
Speed very much depends on your distance from the green cabinet in the street, but usual download speeds range between 40-80mbps.
How do I find out if I can upgrade to SoGEA and how do I upgrade?
Ask your current internet service provider, or if out of contract or moving, it could be a good time to compare your options and switch supplier. Most of the big companies have a postcode checker on their website to look at broadband packages specifically for your address. Or give Leap IT a call, as we can also provide VoIP at the same time for your phones, so no need to go to multiple providers for these services.
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Leap IT is here to take your businesses IT to where it needs to be. We have been delivering IT Managed services throughout Birmingham, The West Midlands and across the UK for over 20 years and on behalf of more than 350 businesses. We work closely with you to really understand what your business needs so that we can make sure you always receive the best advice and achieve the best value.
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