Business broadband price comparison

It would be nigh on impossible to grow a successful business today without fast and reliable broadband.

Fortunately, getting online is relatively affordable for a small business. You just need to find a broadband package that’s going to deliver what you need day-to-day. But what exactly are you paying for? What do those acronyms in your contract mean? And how do you know you’re getting your money’s worth?

If you want to jump straight to a broadband price comparison, we can help with that, too – simply fill in a quick form selecting your needs, to get comparable broadband pricing quotes.

In this article, we’ll look at some of the key factors affecting business broadband prices, explore whether you should opt for a cheap broadband plan, and share expert advice on how you can get the best deal.

Compare business broadband prices

Below, we compare prices for some of the UK’s most popular broadband suppliers.

Most offer a range of plans to cater for different needs. So, for each provider, we’ve compared one of their more expensive plans with a more affordable alternative.

Get a more in-depth look at the best UK business broadband providers here. 

Vodafone

Plusnet

TalkTalk

BT

Cheap business broadband

When choosing a business broadband supplier, you should bear in mind that, as with most things in life, the cheapest won’t necessarily be the best value.

Brannon says price should not be your first consideration when choosing a supplier: “Would a restaurant that provides quality dishes build its foundations on the cheapest produce? If broadband is not important to your business, then sure, go for the cheapest with no in-house support, poor service level agreements (SLA), and high contention within their network.

Blizzard agrees: “The SLA is an important one to be on the lookout for. This determines the length of time you can expect to wait for a fix on any fault that should occur. For businesses that rely on the internet to trade or access vital online services, it is usually better to go for the best level of service you can get.”

Brannon continues: “For businesses where broadband is often critical for day-to-day operation, the cheapest may not represent the best value. A provider that values a long-term relationship with its customers will not reserve the best deals for new customers only.

“A good deal will be the one that truly provides the customer with what they need for now, and provides an upgrade path for the future when they require more.”

Blizzard also urges you to look into the hidden factors that could be affecting the cost of such competitively priced broadband packages:

“If you’ve gathered a range of quotes for your new business broadband connection and one seems to be significantly cheaper than the rest, then question where the saving could be coming from.”

“Is customer support outsourced to call centre agents with little or no technical knowledge? Will there be a long wait for a fix should something go wrong? Are you potentially compromising on security? Will you see a huge price hike when your contract is up for renewal? When it comes to business broadband, service is often more important than price.”

If cutting costs means you’re also sacrificing on service and security, your cheap broadband could end up costing you more in the long run.

However, as Pocock points out, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t investigate deals offered by smaller providers:

“Going for the most expensive doesn’t necessarily mean you are getting the best product or service. Indeed, well-known companies don’t always have the best deals. In fact, some of the smaller, independent brands can offer good deals that might be better suited to you.”

Below, we’ve ranked some of the cheapest business broadband providers to give you an idea of the more affordable options out there.

XLN Unlimited Business Broadband 

17mb avg speed
Unlimited downloads
12 month contract
£15.95/month
£9.99 setup cost

bOnline Unlimited Business Broadband 

24mb average speed
12 month contract
£16.00/month (£17.95 with unlimited calls)
£9.95 setup

TalkTalk Business Simply Broadband & Pay As You Go Calls

17mb avg speed
Unlimited downloads
12 month contract
£18/month
£8.99 setup cost

Best business phone and broadband deals

Often, there are rewards to be earned for businesses that take a more holistic view of business communications when searching for a broadband provider.

For example, see if you can find a package that includes mobile, or a business phone system such as VoIP.  “This not only provides good monetary value, but has the advantage of placing all of your support resources in one place,” explains Brannon.

This can provide excellent cost and time savings for a business that goes beyond the headline broadband deal.

Visit our business phones content to learn everything you need to about choosing a suitable communications system for your business.

How do you get the best business broadband deal?

As we’ve discussed, the best business broadband deal isn’t necessarily the cheapest – it’s the one that’s most suitable for your particular needs.

We asked our business broadband experts to offer some final thoughts on how you can ensure you’re getting the best deal for your business.

Is it a business-focused package? 

Asad Hamir, founder at Klyk Tech: “Firstly, look for a deal that’s dedicated to business needs and won’t be lumping you in with retail customers, as these won’t provide the best experience. Secondly, seek the best connection possible with high download and upload speeds. The lower the number of customers on the same connection, the better.”

Does it have a strong upload speed?

Hamir says it’s also important to pay attention to the speed: “While download speeds are important, the key term for businesses to look for is ‘upload speeds’. This is something you rarely hear about from providers, as they try to give you the minimum amount possible.

“A strong upload speed is crucial, as it dictates how fast you can upload data to your services, such as when performing backups or accessing cloud computing services.”

What is the contention ratio? 

Blizzard continues: “Contention is another thing to look out for. The broadband speed you receive will be affected by the amount of competing demand for connectivity there is in your area from other internet users.

“The contention ratio is the level of potential maximum demand when compared to the actual available bandwidth. The higher the contention ratio, the lower the maximum bandwidth, and the slower your connection is likely to be.”

Next steps

You should now be armed with the information necessary to land the best business broadband deal for your business.

To recap, remember:

• Make sure the contract doesn’t feature long installation terms
• Check the contract for hidden costs such as line rental
• Saving on cost could mean sacrificing on security or customer service
• A strong upload speed is critical
• To check the terms of the service level agreement – will it leave you waiting a long time for repair?
• A higher contention ratio means a slower connection

All these acronyms and confusing offers can be overwhelming. Rather than getting bogged down trying to make sense of it all, why not let us do the hard work?