The UK government defines superfast broadband as over 30Mb/sec, and while average broadband speeds have improved greatly over the last ten years, some users might find that what is classed as “superfast” doesn’t cut it.
When selecting business broadband, you’ll want to get the fastest speed possible for your budget, and with so many different packages available, it’s tough to find a deal that works for you.
In this guide, we’ll take you through what you need to know about finding the fastest possible business broadband in a crowded market.
Fibre optic options
Whether fibre works for you will depend on what kind of service you’re looking for. Standard fibre connections (which most business broadband providers offer) should be adequate for most businesses, as even the cheapest will offer speeds of up to 100Mbps – well above what is considered superfast.
FTTC
Fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) connections are better than ADSL copper wiring which is used for slower broadband connections, but this connection is shared between all the premises the cabinet is connected to.
An additional issue with FTTC connections is the final few hundred metres of copper cable; a material that is not as good at carrying data as fibre and could be part of the reason for any slowdown you experience.
FTTH
Fibre to the home (FTTH), or fibre to the premises (FTTP) connections are better than FTTC, but your internet connection is still shared with other premises, so you might not get the full speed advertised speed. Despite this, a FTTH connection will still offer a very fast speed for most small businesses.
As the most common types of fibre broadband, FTTC and FTTH should suffice for the vast majority businesses. When choosing a superfast broadband package, you should generally look for options within these two solutions, and always remember to consider your budget. There’s no point in spending more on faster broadband speeds if you don’t need it!
Leased line options
Fibre can handle massive amounts of data traffic but can still experience lag or slowdown due to lines being shared by multiple premises.
A leased line means your internet speed stays fast, regardless of what other people are doing during peak times.
While a leased line offers extremely fast, reliable broadband, it can be prohibitively expensive. To counter this, the UK government offers £2,500 Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme grants towards the cost of a leased line, and if your business is located in Wales you can get an extra £3,000 from the Welsh Government.
However, even if you’re eligible for a grant, the extreme pricing of leased lines means that anyone other than larger businesses and corporations will most likely be priced out.
Another downside of a leased line is availability. If your business is based in a remote or rural location, you might struggle to find a leased line service that will connect to you. This will gradually change as technology and rollouts improve, but for now, your best bet in this instance is to stick with traditional providers.
Location decisions
When shopping around for superfast broadband, you’ll need to consider the location your business is based in. While the government has rolled out broadband lines to a vast majority of the country, if you’re really remote, you may have less choices than businesses in an urban area.
That said, the situation is a lot better now than it was around ten years ago, when the Openreach rollout hadn’t yet been completed. In 2024, there are plenty of options for those interested in superfast broadband, no matter where you live, even if you won’t be able to get a leased line.
Further reading on business broadband
