Business broadband comparison

About business broadband Packages

A huge majority of companies these days rely heavily on business broadband. Whether you’re a sole trader, running a small to medium enterprise, or in big business, it’s likely that you use the internet daily for communication, collaborative working, and to help streamline business processes.

Whatever you use it for, you need to ensure that your business broadband connection is reliable, and that you get cheap broadband deals which offer you the best range of services. However, while looking for a good deal, you also need to ensure you are a getting the level of service your company requires to compete at the top of your field.

As a business user, you will most likely have different requirements to a home broadband user. The obvious possibilities are that you may need a faster connection, with a larger download or upload limit than you would be able to get with a domestic package. But it doesn’t stop there – you will probably also have requirements for a package with better support, better security, and more flexibility.

That’s where business broadband comes in. Many broadband providers now offer packages deliberately designed for businesses, with the specific needs of office broadband use in mind.

And even if you’re not a business user, sometimes business broadband packages can still work out to be your best bet – if you have a number of users under one roof, for example – in particular users who favour TV or video streaming, or online gaming and the like. As an additional bonus for gamers, many business broadband deals will offer a static IP – if you want to set up a gaming server yourself, this should be the first thing that you look out for.

Why choose business broadband?

There are lots of reasons to consider a dedicated business broadband deal. We've broken them up into some of the key areas below:

• Speed and download limits. As mentioned, broadband for business packages are often a little more generous with their download limits, and may offer faster connection speeds (up to 24Mb through a standard telephone line, 40Mb on BT's fibre network or up to 100Mb on cable). You may also want to look at upload speeds. Some ISPs will guarantee a good upload speed, which can be crucial if you need to transfer or upload a lot of large files, or have people accessing your office server remotely from outside the office.
• Support. One of the attractive features of business broadband packages is the extra support that will be available in case of problems. Your business probably depends pretty heavily on your broadband connection, and there can be nasty consequences of outages, up to and including lost business. With office broadband you will usually be given a free-phone support number you can contact 24-7, and there may even be service level agreements which mean that your supplier guarantees to fix the problem within a certain timescale.
• Scalability. As your business grows, you’ll need your broadband package to be able to keep pace. Business broadband packages often feature several levels, catering to everyone from the person running their business at home, to small businesses with multiple users, networking requirements and so on. If your requirements get bigger, there will be a bigger office broadband package to suit.
• Security. Malware, viruses, hackers and so on – while a relatively small risk – are a potential problem for all internet users - but for a business a major security breach could be ruinous. With this in mind, many broadband packages come with better security features than the standard domestic package, to ensure that your hardware, software and data are all secure.
• Range of services. Running a business, the chances are that you’ll want to be able to do things with your connection that you just can’t do with domestic broadband due to its restrictions. For example, you might want to run email servers or web servers, which you can’t do with domestic broadband because the ports required are usually blocked and because a static IP address is required. Business broadband is designed to allow all these sorts of extras. And in addition, an office broadband package may include free web space, email accounts, wireless routers or modems, access to Wi-Fi hotspots and more.
• Hardware. If you have a large number of people connecting to the internet, you will find that a standard router or modem probably won't cut it. The kind of standard Wi-Fi router you'll get on a home broadband deal may be able to cope with about five or six connections; even if you only have five or six staff, this could be a problem. You may have extra machines such as laptops that need to be connected, as well as devices such as smartphones that connect over Wi-Fi too. Be sure your hardware needs are met too.

Who offers the best business broadband packages?

Whatever size you business may be, and however you prefer to operate, you'll find a business broadband ISP that's right for you. You will find that there are some broadband internet service providers (ISPs) that specifically call themselves a business ISP, while some of the bigger consumer ISPs also have a business broadband arm.

The three biggest players in the UK consumer broadband market – BT, TalkTalk and Virgin Media – all have a dedicated business ISP too. The imaginatively named BT Business, TalkTalk Business and Virgin Media Business between them have a massive chunk of the UK business broadband market, with many preferring to go with a tried and tested broadband supplier.

But some prefer a smaller dedicated business broadband ISP, looking for pure broadband from a company tailored to provide a more personal touch. ISPs such as Zen Broadband and Easynet are good examples of these smaller providers.

The other business option is going for a combined communications solution, where one company takes responsibility for all of your phone and broadband requirements. The likes of Timico can put all your mobile, landline and broadband bills under one invoice and with one point of contact for customer care, which can remove a lot of possible headaches.

Cheap business broadband offers, UK comparison

While looking for cheap deals is always tempting, remember this is your business we're talking about! Cutting corners could lead to some real headaches.

That said, depending on what you will be using your business broadband for, you may be able to save a considerable amount by opting for a cheaper package. For example, if you are only using the internet and checking email, especially if it is a relatively small company, you will not need a high download limit, or even a speedy connection. In this case, the best package could well turn out to be your cheapest business broadband option.

You may find that you can get a cheap business broadband deal, or improved extras and service, if you take multiple lines at once. Also, you may want to talk to a business broadband advisor from an ISP, who may be able to get you a better deal than you could get through Broadband Genie. Don't worry, we'll forgive you – as long as you come back to us for your smartphone, home broadband and mobile broadband!

Things to consider when comparing business broadband

Perhaps the first thing to look at, whether you’re a business user or a heavy domestic user, is speed and data allowance. This will govern everyday use of your broadband, so these will probably be the first things you’ll want to know.

Next up is support. As this is one of the big advantages of business broadband over domestic packages, you’ll want to ensure that the one you choose has the level of support you need. You might want to see things like 24-hour Freephone support, SLAs and compensation packages.

Again, security is also worth considering. Are you getting better security with an broadband for business deal than you would for a similar domestic package? Here you may be offered virus and spyware protection, a firewall, and possibly data backup services.
Thirdly, look for all the extras required to run any services you will need for your business. If you will be running a networked office, check that the package supports networking; if you want to run mail servers, check that you will be given a static IP address; and if you want to make cheapest internet phone calls check whether VoIP is offered.

Lastly, look at Broadband Genie for a comparison of not only prices of UK providers from Virgin Media to O2 Broadband to BT Business; but also to compare other aspects of your internet connection too such as speed or contract length. It is also possible to read customer reviews of their service and find out which overall broadband experience would be best suited to you.

How do I use the business broadband comparison tool?

Above this guide you will find some of the best business broadband deals available for comparison. Once you have decided that the speed, download allowance, price and extras meet your needs, simply click the 'go' button. This will take you directly to the official website of the business broadband supplier of your choice, letting you sign up with them directly. Your business broadband will be up and running in no time.

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