Improvements in fibre
In recent years, general accessibility to fibre optic connections has improved, thanks to the national Openreach rollout. Compared to ten years ago, many more homes and businesses are able to access superfast fibre than ever, with gigabit broadband (1000Mbps or more) the next target.
Openreach has said that it aims to build Full Fibre to 25 million homes and businesses nationwide by December 2026, meaning that services are expected to get even faster for businesses that want to upgrade.
In the meantime, Openreach offers a postcode search service, which allows you to find the specific broadband connections that are available at your address or place of business.
The importance of speed to business broadband
There are still some small business operators who struggle with all facets of digital connectivity – a big problem when internet access is so vital to businesses of all types in our modern world.
It is crucial in such a landscape to get the right broadband deal for your business, and for it to be installed when you need it. A poor internet connection will have a serious detrimental effect on productivity, restrict home and remote workers, hamper international business and prove detrimental to hosted or cloud-based services.
For example, services such as cloud computing, email, VoIP telephony, and VPNs, could be rendered almost useless due to insufficient internet speed. Insufficient internet hits sales hard. For e-commerce sites in particular, web loading times are crucial.
Delays of microseconds can potentially cause a significant loss of turnover. Tests at Amazon revealed similar results: every 100 ms increase in load time of Amazon.com decreased sales by 1 per cent (Kohavi and Longbotham 2007). Google discovered that a change in a 10- result page loading in 0.4 seconds to a 30-result page loading in 0.9 seconds decreased traffic and ad revenues by 20 per cent (Linden 2006).
Finding a business broadband package
If you’re in the process of setting up a small business or are looking to upgrade your existing broadband then are a few issues to consider before signing up. First, you have to choose the correct broadband for your needs. There are a multitude of different connectivity types available for companies and your provider should be able to make sense of them all for you, so you are in a position to make the right choice to suit your needs. The variables you need to consider include the number of users connecting from your premises as well as whether you download or upload more information.
Tailored packages through a provider to suit your needs are the best option once an assessment has been made, but remember that as your business grows your requirements will no doubt also change so always consider future growth.
Remember to ensure that a form of technical support is included free of charge in the package you choose. A static IP address is the most suitable choice for businesses as this means your identifying number will always remain the same; dynamic IP addresses change with each connection.
The benefits of a static IP including the ability to access advanced internet facilities and allows you to build websites, run a server and create an email account to send emails to your own website domain. Broadband is the one thing that business cannot afford to cut corners on and this tool is vital for long-term growth and sustainability.
The two providers below offer a range of different packages to suit businesses of different sizes and with varying demands:
Sky Business Broadband
Sky Business has a range of superfast and fibre broadband packages, which makes it easy to find a solution that’s exactly right for your needs. Speed options start from 76 Mb/s for small businesses and go all the way up to 900 Mb/s for those that demand top performance and minimal interruptions.
Each speed has three tiers: Essential, Advanced and Ultimate. All come with 24/7 support, dedicated guest Wifi for your customers, and security to protect your business against phishing and malware attacks. Advanced and Ultimate have 4G backup to keep you online if the connection drops, while Ultimate adds superior security and a static IP.
Pricing per month (24 month contract):
76 Mb/s: Essential(£24.95), Advanced (£34.95), Ultimate (£44.95)
150 Mb/s: Essential(£29.95), Advanced (£39.95), Ultimate (£49.95)
300 Mb/s: Essential(£32.95), Advanced (£42.95), Ultimate (£52.95)
500 Mb/s: Essential(£35.95), Advanced (£45.95), Ultimate (£55.95)
900 Mb/s: Essential(£40.95), Advanced (£50.95), Ultimate (£60.95)
BT
All contracts are 24 months and prices exclude VAT. BT has teamed up with phone provider EE to give customers wider access to services. Some hardware is available in the packages above, but you can also purchase the BT Business Hub, Complete Wi-Fi, Hybrid and Digital phone line separately.
All the packages come with minimum speed guarantee, guest WiFi, content controls and web protect.
Pricing:
Essential: From £22.95 – Up to 900mbps of downloads, 19mbps of upload.
Enhanced: From £32.95 – Up to 900mbps of downloads, 19mbps of upload.
Pro: From £42.95 – up to 900mbps upload and 104mbps upload.
Compare providers and bundles
Don’t be afraid to obtain as much information as possible from your potential provider and it’s reassuring to know that they are good deals available through competitive providers if you’re looking for reliable but cheap broadband. It is possible to measure your broadband speed; On the Broadband Choices page you can take a test and check how your broadband is performing.
See also:
How to compare business broadband deals – It’s always worth taking the time to research what’s out there.
Finding superfast broadband for your business – There are ways of securing better speeds.
