Connectivity for your business is more important than ever. Recent research from BT Business uncovered that 41% of entrepreneurs now run their business solely online, with no in-person presence. Almost three-quarters (73%) of those already running a business or a side business stressed the importance of reliable broadband and mobile connectivity to their operations. Improving digital infrastructure across the UK is critical to help boost productivity, business competitiveness and growth.
We appreciate it can be hard to know where to start when choosing the right internet connection for your small business. That’s why we’ve teamed up with BT to share four important things you need to consider when choosing your connection.
1. Do you have customers visiting your business?
At the Federation of Small Businesses, we’re delighted to be partnering with BT to bring you affordable broadband solutions. Access a special limited-time deal just for FSB members and save up to £163.95 on broadband.
Log in to your member dashboard to access this offer. Not an FSB member? Join FSB today to access a wide range of support and protection for your small business.
Whether you’re running a coffee shop, hairdressers or B&B, guest Wi-Fi is now something many customers will expect. Bring new customers through the door and gain more sales when you offer free internet access. By providing visitors with fast, reliable and secure Wi-Fi you will give your customers another reason to keep coming back.
Get your customers online with one click from any device - no password needed. Even better, it’s completely free for BT Business Broadband customers with a BT Business Smart Hub.
2. What speeds are available where you are?
Everyone wants a fast and reliable broadband connection to ensure they can deliver for their customers. Business Fibre broadband uses fibre optic cabling instead of copper. It enables much faster and more reliable connectivity for businesses. Full Fibre is fibre to the premises (FTTP with speeds up to 900Mbps). It offers higher broadband speeds to specific premises in areas that have been enabled for FTTP.
Speeds of up to 900Mbps means that everyone can work to the best of their ability without worrying about the slow connection. Strength and reliability are unaffected by bad weather or distance from the exchange. It is a connection your business can count on.
Based on your address, BT will either supply you with fibre that comes to your property via a cabinet and copper or full fibre. BT will work out what you can get at the time you place your order and display the appropriate packages and speeds available to you.
3. What happens if your internet connection goes down?
Business continuity planning is so important as a small business owner and you need to be prepared for the unexpected. Life’s not always plain sailing and there’s always a possibility something could go wrong with your connection. Whether it’s an intermittent quiver or a complete drop out, having a back-up solution can give you confidence when running your business.
BT Broadband packages come with a 4G backup, meaning you’ll never be offline as your connection automatically switches over to 4G while we get your problem fixed.
4. Is your business ready for digital phone calls?
Landlines in the UK are going digital. By December 2025, the existing analogue technology (the PSTN - Public Switched Telephone Network) which has supported phone and broadband services for decades will be switched off and replaced with newer digital technology.
The landline isn’t going away, it’s simply being upgraded. This is a once in a generation upgrade that will see the vast majority of customers provided with a broadband / data line which landline services will use.
We’re working with business customers to move them from legacy network solutions to a new digital network which includes both new data access (broadband, mobile and ethernet) and All-IP voice solutions.
The process of switching to digital landlines for our business, charity and public sector customers will be collaborative, partnering with customers as they move to new solutions. We’ll give plenty of notice regarding any changes to existing services and will work closely to find the service that best suits their needs.
Check how your business could be affected.
This content was provided by BT.
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