APFN Launched Hybrid Fibre SOGEA Broadband Products for UK ISP Partners
The AllPoints Fibre Network (APFN), which is a wholesale platform that aggregates connectivity from several different UK networks, has today complemented their existing full fibre (FTTP) and Ethernet services by introducing hybrid fibre SoGEA broadband products for their ISP partners – bringing a further 9.3 million premises within reach of their platform.
In case anybody has forgotten, the Single order Generic Ethernet Access (SoGEA) solution is essentially Openreach’s technical name for their standalone data-only hybrid fibre and copper products, such as those based off the old Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC / VDSL2) broadband service.
Internet service providers having been using this for years to help migrate customers away from traditional landline-based services ahead of the PSTN (analogue phone service) switch-off in January 2027, such as in areas that can’t yet access full fibre lines. In that sense APFN are both playing catch up and expanding beyond their original full fibre focus, which they say enables their services to reach a combined footprint of 32.9 million premises.
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Nisreen El-Kaloush, CCO of AllPoints Fibre Networks, said:
“The PSTN switch-off is imminent, and partners need practical ways to migrate customers today. Working with our trialists, we’ve made that simple. SoGEA extends aquila’s reach into areas that don’t yet have full fibre, without adding complexity for partners. That’s what a single wholesale platform should do: remove the barriers to better connectivity and bring more networks and products together through one route to market.”
The service is said to be designed for simple, largely remote activation, giving APFN’s partners a faster, lower-cost way to serve customers who don’t yet have full fibre. SoGEA has already been successfully trialled with partners including Meraki, Triangle, F One Technologies and NuFibre ahead of today’s full launch.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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Seems strange that they would want to expand their footprint into a technology that is supposedly going away. Openreach are supposedly building to 30 million premises by 2030 leaving only 3 million or so unserviced premises, but with that not yet having been confirmed beyond the 25 million by the end of this year you have to wonder if they know something we don’t.
Copper might eventually be removed entirely, but Openreach has indicated in its planning that full withdrawal was not included in the plans.
FTTC circuits can be easily converted into SoGEA circuits with one simple order placed with Openreach.
But on multiple occasions now, APFN (and its child brands) has effectively sold its FTTC customer base to other ISPs. Clearly, they don’t actually want to supply any retail customers.
So why start selling an inferior technology product now? When consumers would prefer FTTP, there are already many well-established wholesale suppliers and FTTC is highly likely to generate more support issues than FTTP.
The confused and illogical business plan continues…..
They are most likely offering the option due to demand from their wholesale customers.
SoGEA is an FTTC offering.
Indeed. I never cease to be amazed at the constant pivoting, presumably in desperate attempts to satisfy their investors. Of course, it’s comparatively easy to do, I’m sure, given the way Aquila links into Openreach. But so would hanging on to the revenue from Cuckoo FTTC customers have been….
If they want to be a one-stop shop they have to have something available for places where there’s no FTTP yet.
@125us:
2024: Fern Fibre retail ISP announces it’s full-fibre only, bins off its xDSL customers
2026: Fern Fibre’s only business left in the consumer market decides it wants to be a one-stop wholesale shop, starts selling copper connections.
I wonder if those strategies were ever simultaneously in a 5 or 10 year business plan presented by Fern Fibre Trading to the Fern board, or even in a certain financial product’s report or prospectus…
PSTN closure timetable announced eight years ago. WLR close down worked out eight years ago. So APFN waiting to launch its SOGEA product until the final five months before a very hard deadline seems a little tight.
PSTN switch off does not mean complete copper switch off. SOGEA is a copper delivered enduring openreach product. It’s not impacted by PSTN switch off as it is delivered from FTTC cabs
Playing catch up 20 years late and still no one can order to their own network !
Just reselling BT products ….