If your office still relies on a traditional phone line with broadband bolted on, change is coming whether you plan for it or not. The UK's old copper telephone network (PSTN) is being retired, with the switch-off now expected to complete by January 2027. Providers already stopped selling new traditional line-and-broadband packages in most areas. For many businesses in Sussex, that means choosing a new connection, and the options can sound like alphabet soup.
This guide explains the three main types of business broadband you are likely to be offered, what each is good for, and the questions worth asking before you sign anything.
Why the switch-off changes things
Until recently, most small offices had a phone line, and broadband ran over the same copper. After the switch-off, everything becomes digital. Phone calls travel over the internet using VoIP (voice over internet protocol), so your broadband is no longer just for email and web browsing. It is now carrying your phone system too.
That raises the stakes. A connection that felt fine for a few people browsing might struggle when ten calls are running alongside Microsoft 365, cloud backups and video meetings. Choosing the right line matters more than it used to.
SoGEA: broadband without the phone line
SoGEA stands for Single Order Generic Ethernet Access. In plain terms, it is the familiar fibre-to-the-cabinet broadband many offices already have, but sold without the traditional phone service attached. Fibre runs to the green street cabinet, and copper covers the final stretch to your building.
Good for
- Small offices, shops and branch sites with modest needs
- Locations where full fibre is not yet available
- Businesses wanting a straightforward, affordable upgrade path
Things to know
- Speeds depend heavily on your distance from the cabinet, so two offices on the same street can get different results
- Upload speeds are much lower than download speeds, which can affect video calls and cloud backups
- It is a shared, best-effort service, so performance can dip at busy times
Where fibre-to-the-cabinet is not available at all, you may be offered a similar copper-only product. It works, but it is worth looking at alternatives if your business depends on calls.
Full fibre (FTTP)
Full fibre, also called fibre-to-the-premises, runs fibre optic cable all the way into your building. There is no copper in the path, which makes it faster, more consistent and generally more reliable. Coverage across Sussex has grown quickly, delivered both by Openreach and by a number of alternative network providers, though availability still varies street by street, and rural parts of the county can lag behind towns.
Good for
- Most small and medium-sized offices, schools and charities
- Businesses moving to VoIP and cloud services
- Anyone wanting much better upload speeds than SoGEA
Things to know
- It is still a shared, contended service, although capacity is far greater
- Business packages usually offer better support and faster fault fixes than home packages, so check what you are actually buying
- Installation may require a new cable route into the building, which landlords sometimes need to approve
For a lot of organisations, full fibre is the sweet spot of performance and cost.
Leased lines
A leased line is a dedicated fibre connection used only by your organisation. Unlike broadband, you are not sharing capacity with neighbours, and speeds are the same in both directions.
Good for
- Larger offices or sites with many staff
- Businesses where downtime is genuinely costly
- Organisations hosting their own servers or sending large volumes of data
- Busy call centres or reception teams relying on VoIP
Things to know
- They come with a service level agreement guaranteeing repair times, often measured in hours rather than days
- Lead times are longer, typically weeks or sometimes months, especially if new groundwork is needed
- Costs are higher and contracts tend to be longer, and excavation charges can apply in some locations, so it really depends on your site
Which one is right for you?
There is no single right answer, but a few questions help narrow it down:
- How many people use the connection at the same time?
- Are you moving your phones to VoIP, and how many calls happen at once?
- How much do you rely on cloud services such as Microsoft 365, Teams or online backup?
- What would an afternoon offline actually cost you?
- Is full fibre available at your exact address?
As a rough guide, small teams with light use may manage on SoGEA, most growing offices are well served by business full fibre, and organisations that cannot afford outages should consider a leased line.
Do not forget the extras
A few things often get missed when switching:
- Backup connectivity: a 4G or 5G router, or a second line, can keep you running if your main connection fails
- Devices on old phone lines: alarms, lift emergency phones, card machines and franking machines may still use the PSTN and need checking
- Router and network setup: VoIP call quality depends on correct configuration, not just raw speed
- Contract timing: lining up the new service before the old one ends avoids an awkward gap
Getting it right first time
Broadband, phones and IT are now tightly linked, so it helps to plan them together rather than in isolation. That way your new line is sized for your phone system, your cloud services and your future growth.
If you are reviewing your business broadband in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire or Kent, Cloud 4 Sure is happy to help. We can check what is available at your address, explain your options honestly and look after the move to VoIP if you need it. Get in touch to book a free IT health check and we will help you find a connection that fits.