A guide to small office broadband
There’s a lot to think about when planning your office move, so it’s easy to forget your ability to get online. Not all postcodes are created equal for broadband and there are hundreds of options out there. So where do you start?
What to look for
If you’re in the office search stage, and your business relies on its web presence, make broadband a priority; estate agents have been reporting broadband speed as a key property buying factor for years and for good reason.
The BT rollout of superfast fibre is well ahead of schedule, while Virgin Media’s 100Mb cable network covers more than half the UK population. Expansion focuses on large cities and towns, but this is done one cabinet at a time; even in London you can’t be sure unless you do a telephone check via BT or Virgin’s website (many other providers offer fibre, but these will use BT’s network for at least some of the journey so checking BT is a good first move).
Why superfast?
The real kicker for a business is multiple connections. You may think staffers are only doing low load tasks such as email, web browsing or social media – but when several work on one slow connection it adds up. Especially when you think everyone’s phone is probably trying to get on the Wi-Fi too!
One superfast connection and a good Wi-Fi router will handle this with ease, where an old ADSL connection can cause slow loading or even kick people offline without warning. This results in frustrated staff and productivity issues.
Finally while a superfast connection is more expensive, if you do have problems on a slower line you’re just going to have to get a second line – which works out more expensive than one faster one (and still nets you a slower overall experience).
Alternatives to fibre
Of course many businesses still won’t have fibre as an option – especially those in more rural areas. However a little research may yield results. A simple Google search for ‘[your town] broadband’ can unearth small broadband providers meeting local needs, or a group of local businesses lobbying to get local broadband improved.
Another example is bonded broadband; a process by which several slower lines are bonded together to make one much faster one. This can be a little expensive, but if your business needs broadband it can give you the speed you need.
Which office broadband bundle?
As for provider and package, this is very much down to your business’s needs. You may even find a domestic package is better than a business one, if it happens to be offering just the right special offer (not every business needs the likes of a fixed IP address). If in doubt, just head over to a site such as Broadband Genie for in-depth guides on everything broadband, or to give one of our experts a call.
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