BT Business Phone and Broadband: Everything You Need to Know

Looking for a new business phone and broadband provider? As a giant in the industry, it makes sense to consider BT as an option.

BT has been offering business broadband since the 1990s and has a great reputation to match its heritage. There’s a package to suit businesses of all sizes, so whether you’re just starting out or need a more reliable service, you’ll find a plan that works for you.

Phone and business plans that BT offers

There are currently seven business phone and broadband packages available from BT. It sounds overwhelming, but they’re simply different combinations of several products. That’s great news for business customers – you can choose a plan that really suits your needs and only pay for what you need.

Let’s explore the different types of business broadband that BT offers. These can all be bundled with their phone line plans, which often works out more affordable.

BT logo

Standard broadband

BT’s standard broadband is their entry-level product, offering speeds of up to 17Mbps download and 1Mbps upload. This type of business broadband is best for light use, as the low upload and download speeds are likely to feel slow if you run a lot of applications.

Broadband Essential brings you unlimited data and Guest WiFi, but for anything else, you’ll want to upgrade to Broadband Enhanced. This second tier includes extras such as 4G Assure, static IP and PC support.

You can currently get Broadband Essentials + Value Line for £30 per month, with Broadband Enhanced + Value Line priced at £42 per month.

Superfast broadband

If you need faster speeds, BT’s superfast broadband may be a better choice for you. Both the Superfast Fibre Essential and Superfast Fibre Enhanced packages give you download speeds of up to 76Mbps, with upload speeds up to 19Mbps. This is similar to what most of us see in our home broadband, so that should help you decide whether it’s enough for your business or not.

Superfast Fibre Essential comes with Guest WiFi included, while the Enhanced version of the plan comes with the same extras as before – like a static IP and device protection. Again, your monthly data is unlimited.

The Superfast Fibre Essential plan is available for £45 per month, while the Enhanced plan is priced at £57 per month.

BT superfast broadband

Ultrafast broadband

BT’s Ultrafast broadband brings you even greater speeds. With Ultrafast 1 Fibre Enhanced you’ll see a download speed of up to 152Mbps and upload speed of up to 29Mbps. Upgrade to Ultrafast 2 and your speeds rise to 314Mbps download and 48Mbps upload. That’s more than enough speed to keep your business running smoothly and efficiently.

Along with superfast fibre and unlimited data, both Ultrafast plans come with 4G assure, device protection, PC support, static IP and Guest WiFi included.

As Ultrafast is delivered through the fibre to the premises (FTTP) network, it isn’t available in all areas yet. Use our free FTTP checker to find out if your business can access these faster speeds right now.

BT’s Ultrafast 1 is currently £72 per month, while Ultrafast 2 is available for £84 per month. For the small increase in price, it’s worth considering the higher tier as it more than doubles your download speed.

BTnet leased line

Lastly, BT offers a final option for business broadband that beats all the others in terms of speed and reliability. Their leased line product, BTnet Leased Line, is a top tier package for businesses that need the fastest speeds possible and an uninterrupted connection.

One of the main bonuses of a leased line is that it’s uncontended, so you’re not sharing bandwidth with any other businesses. It’s also backed by a market-leading service level agreement (SLA) that boasts a 100% target availability. For businesses that value a high-speed connection, you’ll be happy to know you can get up to 10Gbps download and upload with a BT leased line.

BTnet Leased Lines are available from £195 per month. That’s for a line up to 50Mbps, with a 100Mbps line priced from £370 per month.

If this sounds out of budget, don’t panic – at Amvia we can help find you the best possible deal on your leased line. Our guide to leased line costs covers what you can expect, plus you can run a free search to find the best value plans for your location.

Is a phone line always included?

All of BT’s bundled phone and broadband packages come with a Value Line included. This gives you some standard features like BT 1471, BT Answer 1571 and Caller Display. You can also add up to two extra features to your plan, like call diversion, call waiting and three-way calling.

Value Line customers can expect fault fixes within two working days. If you need faster service, you can upgrade to BT’s standard phone line. For faster fixes and up to 14 included features, upgrade to their Featureline phone line.

Already have a BT phone line? You can purchase their business broadband separately, but it usually works out more affordable to buy the package together.

BT business phone and broadband

Why is BT business phone and broadband a good choice?

With so many business phone and broadband providers out there, how do you make the right choice? BT remains one of the most popular ISPs in the UK – thanks largely to its reputation and coverage.

Here are some of the top reasons why a BT business phone and broadband package could work for you.

Household name

We’ve all heard of BT. It’s a familiar household name in the telecoms world, thanks to its huge market share and connection to Openreach. For some businesses, this provides an extra level of comfort and security – knowing that you’re in the hands of an experienced company.

Unlimited data

One perk of BT’s business broadband packages is the unlimited data. The last thing you want is to realise you’re over your allowance and to end up with an unexpected bill. With BT, you don’t need to worry about what your allowance is or if you’ve hit the limit.

Unlimited data comes included with all of BT’s broadband plans. You can also add unlimited calls to your phone package for a small extra cost per month.

Variety of packages

Another reason to consider BT for your phone and broadband needs is the wide variety of packages. It’s easy to find, compare and choose the right type of plan for your business.

While some providers only offer a few plans, BT allows you to decide between plans with different speeds, features and types of connection. This means that there’s something to suit every business and every budget.

Uninterrupted service

Your broadband connection is a must-have, so any moment that it’s down could cost you business. Luckily, BT has developed 4G Assure to help with any unexpected downtime.

The 4G Assure service will automatically switch you to a 4G connection if there are any issues with your fibre connection. This means that you can continue to work while an engineer works on the fault. 4G Assure is currently available with Superfast Fibre Enhanced, Ultrafast 1 and Ultrafast 2.

Largest WiFi network

If you find yourself working while you’re on the move, finding a reliable WiFi connection can be a challenge. This is especially true for areas where there’s a poor 3G or 4G mobile data signal.

BT has the UK’s largest WiFi network, so as a customer you’ll be able to access the internet in more locations than before. In fact, there are over 5 million hotspots in the UK at present. Simply download the app, find a hotspot and login with your BT ID to connect.

BT broadband network

Reasons to consider another broadband provider

Before you invest in a phone and broadband package it’s always worth seeing what else is out there. Every business is different, so if you’re yet to find your perfect plan it could be that another provider is better suited to your needs.

Here are some reasons you might want to consider an alternative provider for your business phone and broadband.

Need a more affordable package

BT offers a range of packages, but on the whole, they’re more expensive than their competitors. Not by a huge amount, but if you’re on a budget you’ll find it could go further with another provider.

Let’s take a superfast fibre connection, for example. With BT, a package with up to 76Mbps download speed will cost around £45 per month. With TalkTalk Business, a similar plan will cost you £29.95 per month. Plusnet business is slightly more affordable again, at £25 per month.

Service not available in your area

Many of BT’s faster speed offerings are through a type of connection known as fibre to the premises, or FTTP. While the rollout is ongoing, coverage is limited currently.

This isn’t a problem limited to BT, however. Many businesses are in areas that aren’t covered by FTTP yet, so you’ll run into similar issues with other providers too. An alternative to this is a leased line, where you can access speeds of up to 10Gbps.

Want faster speeds without a leased line?

BT’s fastest fibre offering is currently Ultrafast 2, with download speeds up to 314Mbps. For most businesses, this is more than enough, but if you’re a heavy internet user you might want something even faster.

If the commitment of a leased line isn’t for you, it may be worth considering a broadband package from Virgin Media Business. Their Voom 500 plan gives you download speeds of up to 500Mbps for £62 per month.

BT leased lines

Alternatives to BT business phone and broadband

Looking for something different? No fear; there are plenty of business broadband providers in the UK to choose from. With so much choice, you’re sure to find a plan that suits your needs perfectly.

Here are a handful of other providers that offer similar packages to BT for you to consider.

Virgin Media Business

For businesses looking for the fastest fibre broadband, it’s worth checking out Virgin Media Business. Their fibre and phone packages start at £42 per month for download speeds of up to 350Mbps, which is great for small businesses. The plans include unlimited downloads, a Hitron WiFi router and the opportunity to customise your plan further.

The downside? This service isn’t available in every area, so check that your premises are covered before adding VOOM to your shortlist.

TalkTalk Business

Another business broadband provider to consider is TalkTalk Business. While they don’t have the edge in speed, they are more affordable than BT in many cases.

TalkTalk’s Simply with Fibre plan gives you a phone line with PAYG calls and unlimited broadband with up to 76Mbps download for £29.95 per month. Also included is a free router, line installation if required and static IPs available from £1 extra per month.

Plusnet

If you’re looking for an affordable package, Plusnet is another provider to look into. Their fibre broadband plan offers you up to 76Mbps download speed just like BT and TalkTalk, for only £25 per month.

Plusnet boasts a fixed price contract, so your prices are locked in for the whole of your 24-month commitment. The plan also includes a free router, unlimited downloads and free line installation.

best BT broadband deals

How to find the best business phone and broadband deal

While it’s easy to compare BT business phone and broadband packages, it’s harder to see how they compare to other providers. Let us make that easier for you with our free business broadband finder tool.

With just a few details we’ll search our database of providers and packages to bring you the best deals. Tell us where you’re located and what level of speed you need and we’ll do all the hard work.

Not sure what you’re looking for? Our guide to business phone and broadband in 2019 will take you through the different options. Our team is also happy to help you figure it out. Just call us on 0333 733 8050 or raise a support ticket.