Business broadband deals

Business broadband deals can supply an office or company with a secure, reliable broadband connection. As more people will likely be using the internet in an office than in homes, this type of broadband must be fast and safe. Many providers also offer phone use in their packages.

Business broadband has to serve more people than home broadband, so it should come with a router that can connect to plenty of devices. While business broadband is often used in offices, as it’s a more secure, stable and fast connection for employees and business owners, you can also get business broadband for your home (eg if you run your company remotely).

It also makes sense to look for a broadband and phone deal for your business, especially if it requires the use of a landline. This means you’ll only pay one bill each month, and some providers offer business-specific add-ons to their phone packages, such as conference calls or multiple phone lines in one office. 

The inclusions in your plan will be unique to each provider, but some things you can expect include:

• Guaranteed service: your internet connection must be stable and reliable when you use business broadband, so most providers offer a guaranteed service a 4G connection as a backup option should anything go wrong with the broadband
• Faster speeds: your business will likely need to upload and download at a faster and more consistent rate than home broadband customers, so you can expect to enjoy high speeds on both fronts
• Dedicated customer service: a 24-hour helpline is often available with business broadband, as well as prioritised customer service
• Enhanced security: while add-ons such as anti-virus software and spyware protection are common with home broadband services, you should find these services automatically included in your business broadband package
• Static IP address: most people have a dynamic IP address in their home, which means their IP address will be different every time they connect to the internet. A static IP address means that it’s always the same, which is essential for running a server, having a domain name in your email address (and your employees’ email addresses) and creating a website
• Higher capacity broadband router: unsurprisingly, more people will be connecting to the router than with a home broadband plan, so it’s important that the router (or routers, if several are required) is reliable and can serve the number of people using the internet

This will depend on the provider, but generally, you can expect to pay a fair bit more than the most basic home broadband packages and around the same as some of the more comprehensive home broadband plans. Unless deals and sales are running, you should prepare to spend around £60 per month for a package that includes a landline service (which you can omit with most providers), fast average download speeds and a router that connects to multiple devices.

If you need business broadband for a large office or coworking space where hundreds of employees will be connecting to the internet, it may be necessary to purchase several routers, as the router included in your plan may not have the capacity to service a large building. Most providers will offer this extra.

Most of the top UK broadband providers offer business broadband packages, and while plans vary, there are a few things you can always expect. Keep in mind that Plusnet has discontinued its business broadband service and EE no longer offers dedicated business broadband plans; however, EE is part of BT, which offers great deals.

Business packages usually comprise fibre or full fibre broadband due to its fast download speeds and reliable service (and the fact that, in the future, the whole of the UK will use fibre and full fibre, both of which are slowly being rolled out by providers).

Full fibre broadband

As mentioned, fibre and full fibre broadband are often offered for business broadband plans, but full fibre is the best option if you want a fast, reliable connection. That’s because it’s the best type of broadband you can get, and its quick speeds and reliable service make it well suited for an office full of devices or a home office that needs to run on fast internet. However, full fibre is still a new concept and is not available to every household and company in the UK, so you’ll need to check if it’s available to you.

Broadband with 4G backup

Lots of business broadband plans come with a 4G backup guarantee, which means that if your broadband stops working, it will use 4G from the same provider to provide internet. Similarly to full fibre broadband, this isn’t an option that will work for everyone – if you’re in a remote area, you might not be able to access that provider’s 4G service.

Broadband and phone packages 

Most top UK providers give you the option to bundle your business broadband with a phone line. This makes sense, as many businesses will find it necessary to operate phone lines in their companies. These package deals often include bonuses such as free UK calls or the option to use your mobile phone as your landline and connect to business calls when out and about. If you know your business isn’t likely to ever need a phone line, opting for one of these bundles isn’t recommended, as there’s no reason to pay for something you won’t use.

Many broadband providers offer similar packages for business broadband, but here are some things you should keep in mind:

• Cost: this will likely be one of the factors on your mind when comparing deals. Make sure you’re only paying for what you need, and don’t add a landline service to your plan if you know it isn’t necessary for your business. Remember that if you’re registered as a company, you should be able to claim this cost back as a business expense
• Phone plans and video over internet protocol (VoIP): VoIP means you can make phone calls using your broadband connection rather than your landline. This might be preferable if you don’t need physical landline phones in your office but you do want to make and receive work calls from one place
• Contract length: some providers offer 12-month contracts, which is great if you’re only just setting up your business and don’t want to commit to a long contract. Other providers offer flexible terms, meaning you can adjust your download speeds partway through your contract
• IP addresses: certain providers will let you choose between a dynamic or static IP address, but generally, businesses need a static IP address because this is how they create websites and host domains
• Security: protection from spyware, malware and hackers is always important, even when considering home broadband packages, but for a business, it’s especially imperative because of the data you’ll want to keep secure. This is why virus protection is often a purchasable add-on for home broadband packages but is almost always included in business broadband plans