Businesses of all kinds are becoming ravenous consumers of technology and that means broadband requirements are growing. Even if you’re a relatively small company, the chances are you can benefit from faster, and more reliable internet connections which is why – if you’re not already considering a leased line, you should be.
For businesses, BT offers its premium business broadband service. This basically gives you a faster, more reliable and secure internet connection. You can choose a range of speeds offering everything from quite fast to hyper-fast. For light use you might choose 17Mbps, but from then on speeds climb rapidly. Their superfast option clocks in at 76Mbps and their ultra-fast will manage up to 314Mbps. Finally, there’s BTnet which offers speeds of 10Gb – enough to satisfy even the most data-hungry business.
These premium offers come with more advanced features such as 4G assure, which means your business broadband will switch to 4G if broadband is lost. They also typically feature built-in security, IT support and a static IP. They also come with a minimum broadband speed guarantee which means you’ll be assured more than the minimum speed quoted.
Key to BT’s offering is a secure leased line. This is your own private line which runs from your property to the main exchange. What this does is effectively give you your own private internet connection which will not be affected by how anyone else in the area is using it.
This opens you up to what BT describes as the ‘ultimate’ connection – something designed to go far beyond broadband – Btnet. This could see speeds reach up to 10Gb and a service level agreement in which they aim to deliver a target service availability time of 100% and a five-hour target fix time.
Data speed is symmetric which means it is the same in both directions. This means you can upload data to the internet while simultaneously downloading large files without any loss of bandwidth.
BT leased line offers an impressive bandwidth and the assurance you are not competing with those around you for connection.
Business leased lines also bring flexibility and scalability, which is perfect for if you are growing fast and consuming significant amounts of data. The line potentially gives you access to speeds from 10Mb to 10Gb which should be enough to cover any requirement. However, you do not have to pay for all the available connectivity; you only need to pay for as much – or as little – as you use.
While competition in this sector is making options more affordable, it is still usually more expensive than the conventional ADSL or FTTC options that many SMEs may be used to. Because
Even so, the benefits far outweigh the costs for many companies considering a leased line. In our modern, high-tech business world, staying still is rarely an option. Even small businesses are requiring more bandwidth. Whether it’s sharing files over the internet or making long-distance conference calls, the web is becoming increasingly important to communication and collaboration.
If your business is located in a major city a 100mbps BT net leased line costs between £280/month and £450/month. If you are a rural business or a business in an outlying town the costs can be considerably more and may be £1000/month or more.
At Amvia, we specialise on advising and helping companies on their transition to a leased line – every step of the way. And with AmviaSearch™ – our leased line quote tool that enables you to search all providers and get side-by-side pricing in a couple of clicks – you can instantly find the best options to suit your business model.