Don’t know your SoGEA from your leased line? You’ve come to the right place! There’s a huge range of options when it comes to internet connectivity for business. They come with different speeds, different bandwidths and different prices.
It can be tricky to navigate all the options, and it’s important. Overestimate your needs, and you’re overpaying. Underestimate them, and you’ll be slowed down by a sluggish connection. Ultimately, both of these will cost you money. Luckily, we’re here to help!
Here at uCall, we’re specialists in business connectivity. We know the market inside out, and we’ve been connecting businesses, schools and other workplaces for years. We pride ourselves on our knowledge and our service, and that’s why we’ve put together this guide.
The connected workplace
Let’s kick off by stating the obvious. Modern business is heavily reliant on the internet. Everyone knows this, but it’s worth reviewing just how much things have changed – and are still changing.
It’s not just emails and your social media accounts. It’s voice calls, videoconferencing, cloud storage, and the ever-growing range of web-based business tools – accounts, CRMs, EPOS, analytics, CCTV, project management software …
We could go on, but it would take a long time – the list is practically endless! Our point? Whether you’re a school or a business, your data needs are probably greater now than they would have been ten years ago. And who knows? As we move towards the internet of things (IoT), those needs might become greater still.
What should you consider when you’re choosing business broadband?
Shortly, we’ll run through the various ways your business can connect. But first off, let’s consider how you actually choose between them.
1. Your location
This is a pretty straightforward one. BT is rolling out fibre broadband across the UK, but unfortunately it isn’t available everywhere yet. We can advise on whether you can get full-fibre connectivity in your area.
2. Your need for speed (and bandwidth!)
Different businesses have completely different demands when it comes to bandwidth and speed. It mostly depends on your size and the work you do. On top of that, there’s the question of how many web-based services you use. Here at uCall, we’re able to help you get a clear estimate of how much speed and bandwidth you really need.
3. Your budget
This one is fairly self-explanatory. Still, there’s a little more to it than the obvious. Clearly, you can’t go with something you can’t afford. But you also can’t afford connectivity that doesn’t meet your needs. If it slows down your work, it harms your productivity, and that costs money too. It’s all about finding that happy medium!
4. The future
This is perhaps the one that businesses don’t consider enough. Broadband is an ongoing investment in your business. That means you need to think about what you’ll need in the future as well as the present. Do you have plans to grow the business? Will you be moving offices? Will the business change in any way? If so, you’ll need to think about whether your connectivity needs will change too.
There’s also the question of technological change. Did you know that BT is switching off the UK’s PSTN lines? These are the copper wires that millions of people rely on for phone calls and internet connection. It’ll be done by 2025 UK-wide. This means some forms of connectivity will become obsolete, and you’ll also have to route calls online. That could force you to change how you connect, and it might well increase your bandwidth and speed requirements.
What business broadband options are there?
OK, let’s take a look at what’s out there. Every option is different, and meets different needs. What we do at uCall is to look at your business, and address those all those points we’ve just gone over.
Fibre to the cabinet (FTTC)
FTTC is a good option for smaller businesses with lower bandwidth requirements. It works like this. A fibre cable runs from your local exchange to your cabinet (those green boxes you see on the pavement). From there, a PSTN copper wire runs to your business.
That copper wire is the downside. As we mentioned, BT is switching these off. If your business runs on FTTC broadband now, you’ll have to switch by 2025 at the absolute latest.
4G and 5G routers
What if you can’t get full-fibre broadband in your area? No problem! We can provide high speed routers that don’t rely on it. Our 4G routers can hit speeds of 90Mbps, while 5G routers can reach as high as 200Mbps. These are a very good temporary option if you’re waiting for fibre to become available in your area.
SoGEA
SoGEA stands for Single Order Generic Ethernet Access. Not a very catchy name, but it’s a really great option for SMEs that don’t have very high data requirements. It’s basically a futureproof replacement for FTTC, because it doesn’t rely on PSTN. Not only is it futureproof, but it’s also more stable and reliable than FTTC.
Fibre to the premises (FTTP)
FTTP is a step up in terms of speeds, bandwidth and reliability. It’s a full-fibre connection straight to your business. That means fibre-optic cables straight from the exchange to you. No one shares the line, and so this delivers outstanding speeds without interference.
It’s not available nationwide yet, but BT is working on that. It can reach download speeds of 330Mbps, which is great for businesses with higher data requirements.
Leased line
Leased lines are the connection of choice for the most data-hungry businesses. It’s an Ethernet connection with fixed bandwidth, and matched upload and download speeds of up to 10Gbps! You’ll struggle to do better for speed, bandwidth, security or resilience.
Leased lines are suitable for larger enterprises and contact centres, and industries that consume a lot of data. For instance, if you’re constantly exchanging very large files, leased lines will do it much quicker.
How uCall can help
Well, it’s fair to say there’s a lot to consider. And this is where we recommend talking to the experts. Here at uCall, we’ve got years of experience in helping businesses make these decisions. We’ve got the knowledge, and we’re committed to doing right by our customers every time.
We’ll help you decide, install it, and provide expert support whenever you need. To get more out of your business connectivity, get in touch today!
