What is business broadband?

The internet is one of the most vital tools for 21st century business. Business broadband allows entrepreneurs and companies to reach a global market, so speed and reliability are paramount for business connections.

Compare the best business broadband packages at uSwitch now.

Business broadband and static IP addresses

An IP address is like a telephone number for the internet - when you dial a number repeatedly, you expect to always go to the same place. Some internet packages have dynamic IPs, which means that your IP changes. For home use, this is fine, but for business use it’s best to have a static (or unchanging) IP address.

Static IPs are important if you want to offer people a connection to something you have on-site. This could be a VPN, so your staff can connect in from home, or it could be a service you offer your customers like email, media servers, or gaming servers.

See our uSwitch Guide to IP Addresses for more information.

Compare all static IP business broadband deals at uSwitch now.

Note:

• Static/fixed IP addresses can give your business a real look of professionalism. This is great if you’re planning on doing a lot of business over the internet.
• The main problem with static/fixed IP addresses is that they can be vulnerable to hackers, so good internet security is an essential requirement.

Which providers offer business broadband?

A lot of ISPs now offer keenly priced, super-fast business broadband packages tailored to the needs of companies. BT business fibre broadband deals, for instance, feature a headline connection speed of up to 40Mbps.

Other players in the business broadband sector include Virgin Media, TalkTalk subsidiary Opal, and Plusnet, which is renowned for its superb customer support.

• Leased lines – like a home connection, you share with other users. Cheaper, slower, and if one user maxes out the line it will affect everyone.
• Dedicated – you have the line all to yourself. Beautifully quick and very reliable, but expensive.

Business Mobile Broadband

With the mobile broadband revolution well under way, mobile business broadband was the next logical step. Portability was a business concern before it was a home concern, but until mobile technology could actually provide usable speeds and connections, the business-user was rather limited.

3G, with max speeds of 21Mbps, is more than enough to provide an internet connection, and more than enough to handle simple tasks like email and calendars.

Several mobile broadband providers are now offering dedicated business mobile broadband for use by business customers. These packages give you the ultimate freedom to access your office from anywhere in the world.

Compare the uSwitch business mobile broadband packages at uSwitch now.

Important factors when choosing business broadband

• Web hosting & email addresses - look out for anti-virus and anti-spam filtering
• Site creation suites such as EasySiteWizard help you quickly and easily create a website for your business.
• Business Voice (VoIP) - receive an inclusive VoIP business line for incoming and outgoing calls
• Extranet - provides employees with one place to store and share information, which is password-protected and backed up daily.
• PC Security - protection suites safeguard your PC from hackers and viruses when you are online, and protects you from infected CD-ROMs and flash drives.