Choosing between SOGEA and FTTP for UK retail stores impacts card payments, POS reliability, guest Wi-Fi experience and e-commerce click-and-collect flows. This guide explains when to deploy each, how to add 4G/5G SIM backup, segment traffic with VLANs, apply content filtering, and centralise reporting, so tills keep moving even if the primary line drops.
Key takeaways
- FTTP: best for high footfall sites, heavy guest Wi-Fi and marketing screens.
- SOGEA: great value for small stores and kiosks; pair with 4G/5G failover.
- POS priority via VLANs & QoS; guest Wi-Fi gets rate limits & client isolation.
- Central reporting shows uptime, failover events and SIM data usage per store.
FTTP vs SOGEA: which access where?
- FTTP (Full Fibre) — high downstream, low latency; ideal for flagship stores, video signage and heavy guest Wi-Fi.
- SOGEA — cost-effective data-only line; perfect for smaller branches, pop-ups and sites with modest Wi-Fi demand.
Keep POS and payments online
- POS VLAN with QoS so card authorisations stay fast during busy periods.
- 4G/5G SIM failover via policy-based routing or SD-WAN — instant cutover, alerts and usage caps.
- Kitchen/back-office printers on wired LAN where possible; staff SSID if wireless is required.
Guest Wi-Fi that’s fast and safe
- Separate SSID/VLAN, bandwidth caps and client isolation.
- Content filtering and safe DNS; branded splash pages and simple AUP.
- Channel planning and band steering to handle peak footfall.
Rollout at scale with central control
Template configurations push the same SSID names, VLAN IDs and QoS policies to every store. Dashboards show uptime, WAN health, SIM usage and failover events, so regional managers spot problems early and plan upgrades (e.g. moving SOGEA sites to FTTP).
Related guides
Recently asked questions
Is FTTP always better than SOGEA for retail?
No. SOGEA is excellent for smaller stores with light guest Wi-Fi. Use FTTP in busy locations where you need more downstream for signage and visitors.
Can we cap mobile data during failover?
Yes — we set SIM data thresholds, alerts and policies (e.g. throttling guest VLAN) to avoid bill shock while keeping POS priority.
Does QoS help over the internet?
QoS protects your LAN/WAN. With a Leased Line we can extend prioritisation end-to-end; with FTTP/SOGEA it still preserves performance at your uplink.
What about PCI DSS?
We isolate POS networks with VLANs, enforce least-privilege firewall rules, use safe DNS and maintain logs — keeping PCI scope tight.