Business broadband deals

Fast and reliable business broadband is vital to the success of many modern businesses, especially given the changes to our work lives during the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing lockdown.

Business broadband is essential for companies of all shapes and sizes to operate efficiently and profitably. Whether you're a sole trader or a company of hundreds, a fast and reliable business broadband connection will be one of your most essential requirements.

If you’re thinking of setting up a business, or already run one, this guide will explore a few of the issues worth considering when choosing a business broadband package.

Best business broadband deals on Uswitch.com in September 2020

Static IPs for business broadband

A static IP address is a critical part of a business broadband connection. In a nutshell, an IP address is a number that identifies your computer and enables computers to exchange information with one another over the internet.

With most home broadband connections, you're assigned a dynamic IP address. This means it changes every time you connect. However, with premium business broadband connections you are usually provided with a static IP address, which means that the identifying number always stays the same.

Static IPs enable you to access more advanced internet features that are helpful to a business.

With a static IP address and you can:

• Run a server
• Build your own website
• Create an email address that sends directly to an email account of your very own domain

Which providers offer business broadband?

A lot of UK providers now offer reasonably-priced, superfast business broadband packages tailored to the needs of companies. BT's Superfast Fibre business deal, for instance, features a headline connection speed of up to 76Mbps as does TalkTalk Business's top-end business broadband package, with the option to upgrade all the way to 1Gbps.

Other players in the business broadband sector include Plusnet Business, which is renowned for its superlative customer support, XLN Telecom, bOnline, Vodafone Business and Virgin Media Business, whose top business broadband product offers speeds up to 500Mbps.

BT Business broadband

BT Business standard business broadband packages offer superfast connections and a reliable service that won’t let you down. Broadband products range from those suitable for small-to-medium enterprises with light usage needs to larger firms who may want to opt for those that feature unlimited downloads.

Customers can also choose to add mobile broadband, with free Wi-Fi minutes available on selected deals. In addition to minimum 10GB of usage allowance, BT also provides 10 email addresses with spam protection through Outlook Web Access.

Virgin Media Business broadband

Thanks to its highly advanced cable broadband network, Virgin Media Business is able to offer fast and reliable broadband speeds that are not affected by the distance between your business and the telephone exchange and an ultrafast cable service of up to 500Mbps.

Customer support is another strong selling point, with help on hand from a dedicated, UK-based team 24/7 via a freephone number. Other key features of Virgin Media Business Broadband include unlimited downloads and calls on its Vroom Fibre product, as well as business-grade SLAs and wireless routers as standard on all packages.

Plusnet Business broadband

Plusnet has long been renowned for its excellent customer service. The provider takes this same customer-focussed approach for its Plusnet Business broadband, with clients benefitting from a well-informed UK-based support team that is on call 24/7 every day of the year.

Plusnet Business broadband customers can expect a connection speed of up to 76Mbps on their fibre broadband packages, which are available with 12 or 24 month contracts.

TalkTalk Business broadband

TalkTalk Business broadband packages offer speeds of up to 76Mbps and prioritised business traffic, making it one of the fastest available to UK firms. TalkTalk is also known to have some of the most competitive rates on the market.

Companies also benefit from years of industry experience, keen prices and the flexibility to tailor a phone line and broadband deal to meet their needs and add extra services for a small additional charge.

Its customer support is excellent, with dedicated, UK-based specialists on call from 9am to 5pm. TalkTalk's superlative aftercare record was highlighted when it scooped a Cisco Customer Service Award for its standards of customer support.

bOnline

bOnline's main focus is to accelerate businesses with fast and reliable internet access. It's a small business specialist, providing three powerful and affordable connectivity solutions to help equip small businesses in the digital age. Specifically, bOnline offers broadband on a 12-month contract with speeds ranging from 18Mb to 80Mb.

Important factors when choosing business broadband

• Web hosting and email addresses: Look out for antivirus and anti-spam filtering features.
• Site creation: Suites such as EasySiteWizard help you quickly and easily set up a website for your business.
• Business Voice (VoIP): Receive an inclusive VoIP business line for incoming and outgoing calls.
• Extranet: This provides employees with one place to store and share information, which is backed up daily and password-protected.
• PC Security: Protection suites safeguard your PC from hackers and viruses when you're online and protect you from infected flash drives when you're offline.

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.