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Business Broadband Buyer’s Guide: Choosing The Right Connection
This guide will help you learn about business broadband and decide what’s right for you. There are numerous acronyms and confusing terminology surrounding connectivity, and it's essential to understand all options to achieve the best value for your requirements.
Why Business Broadband is Different
Business broadband is a tailored internet service for businesses that is more reliable, faster & consistent speed with priority customer support. Numerous additional benefits come with a business broadband connection, which boost productivity and capabilities.
How to Choose the Right Option
Here’s a quick decision table to help you decide which connection is better for you.
|
Business Usage |
Why This Connection |
Recommended Connection |
|
1 to 5 employees / basic browsing and emails |
The cheapest option that is widely available can handle a small number of devices performing basic tasks. |
|
|
5 to 20 employees/ video calls and cloud applications |
Can reliably handle video calls and demands from multiple users. |
|
|
Over 20 employees, heavy data, remote workers and hospitality |
Ultra-reliable for businesses that would lose money in an outage. |
|
|
Working on the move & backup connection |
Flexible and fast set-up - great short-term solution |
Key Features To Look For
You'll likely have an idea of the features that would benefit your business, and some can be more useful than others. Here are some key features to look for.
Faster Speeds
Business broadband offers more consistent download and upload speeds critical for everyday operations, including card payment, video calls, cloud applications and multiple devices.
Reliability
Some broadband plans come with guaranteed uptime and faster resolution times through Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
Security & IP Address
For businesses that host their own website, requiring remote working access will require a static IP address, and this often comes with stronger cybersecurity.
Customer Support
Most business broadband plans come with 24/7 customer service and priority support to limit any potential downtime. Home plans may receive slower fix times.
Business Broadband Costs Explained
If you’re price-driven in selecting your broadband, you may want to look out for some of the smaller print and hidden costs that can be included in a business broadband contract. Here are some of the costs to look out for and make sure you’re comfortable with before agreeing to anything.
Monthly cost
This is the price you’ll see advertised, and you may assume this is the total price of the deal you’re getting. However, you may have some hidden costs included, like installation and mid-contract price increases.
Installation/ delivery
Some providers may charge a fee for sending an engineer to install your connection or cover delivery costs. Occasionally, providers will run promotions on free installation and delivery.
Mid-contract price increases
Nearly all providers include mid-contract price increases. Ofcom protects domestic customers from this, but businesses do not have the same protection. Annual price increases are usually found in the terms and conditions, often linked to inflation.
Ready to find a plan? View our business broadband offers to see the latest prices and promotions.
Mid-Contract Price Increases by Provider (2025)
Each provider has different rates and practices when it comes to mid-contract price increases on business broadband contracts.
Here’s a breakdown by provider:
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Virgin Media Business - Virgin has no mid-contract price rises on business broadband products.
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BT Business - BT has recently fixed their mid-contract price increase. It is currently at £4 per month and increases annually.
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Vodafone Business - Vodafone has fixed their mid-contract price increase. It is currently £3 per month and increases annually.
Most broadband companies now put mid-contract price rises into their deals. These rises are usually linked to inflation (for example, the Consumer Prices Index) plus an extra percentage on top.
Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, has been looking into whether this is fair, as many people said they didn’t realise their bills would go up when they first signed the contract. Because of this, providers now have to be much clearer upfront, so customers know in advance that their monthly price will increase during the contract.
Buyer's Guide FAQs
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What contract terms should I be most cautious about?
Check the terms & conditions for information on automatic renewals, notice periods, and early termination fees. Some providers may automatically renew contracts unless you provide notice. Switching early or setting a reminder is a great way to avoid extra fees. If you switch with us, we will be sure to remind you of the contract end date so we can work with you to save money.
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What do common broadband terms like SLA, static IP, and contention ratio mean?
SLA (Service Level Agreement): Defines uptime guarantees and repair times.
Static IP: A fixed address that enables remote access or hosting.
Contention ratio: The number of users sharing the same connection; lower means better performance. Understanding these helps ensure you’re comparing broadband plans accurately.
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What should I check in the terms and conditions before signing?
Before committing to a contract, review the length, price rise clauses, SLAs, support response times, and early exit fees. These details affect both cost and reliability. Knowing exactly what you’re agreeing to can prevent unexpected charges or downtime later in the term.
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How do mid-contract price increases work for business broadband?
Most business broadband contracts include annual price increases tied to inflation (CPI or RPI), often with an additional fixed percentage.
These should be clearly stated, but if you're struggling to find them, be sure to ask before agreeing to a contract.