BT Business Phone and Broadband: Everything You Need to Know
Nov 5, 2024
Looking for a new business phone and broadband provider? As a giant in the industry, it makes sense to consider BT Business Phone and Broadband as an option.
BT has been offering business broadband solutions since the 1990s, and it has a great reputation to match its heritage. With packages designed to suit businesses of all sizes, whether you’re just starting out or need a more reliable business internet service, you’ll find a plan that works for you.
BT Business Phone and Broadband Plans
Currently, there are seven BT business phone and broadband packages available. It may sound overwhelming, but they’re simply different combinations of several products, allowing business customers to select a customized broadband solution that truly fits their needs.
Let’s explore the various business broadband options that BT offers. All of these can be bundled with BT’s business phone line packages, which often results in a more affordable option for small businesses.
Standard Business Broadband
BT’s standard broadband is an entry-level product offering speeds up to 17Mbps download and 1Mbps upload, ideal for lighter business use. The Broadband Essential package includes unlimited data and Guest WiFi, while Broadband Enhanced offers additional features like 4G Assure, a static IP, and PC support, which can benefit businesses needing more secure business broadband options.
The Broadband Essentials + Value Line starts at £30 per month, while Broadband Enhanced + Value Line is priced at £42 per month.
Superfast Business Broadband
For faster speeds, BT offers Superfast Fibre Essential and Superfast Fibre Enhanced packages, delivering download speeds of up to 76Mbps and upload speeds up to 19Mbps—similar to what many home broadband users experience. Superfast Fibre Essential includes Guest WiFi, while the Enhanced package provides extras like a static IP and device protection.
Superfast Fibre Essential is available for £45 per month, and Enhanced at £57 per month, both including unlimited data.
Ultrafast Business Broadband
For even greater speeds, BT’s Ultrafast Fibre packages offer a range of options. Ultrafast 1 Fibre Enhanced offers download speeds up to 152Mbps and upload speeds up to 29Mbps, while Ultrafast 2 increases speeds to 314Mbps download and 48Mbps upload. Both Ultrafast plans include features such as 4G Assure, device protection, PC support, a static IP, and Guest WiFi.
As Ultrafast broadband is delivered through BT’s fibre to the premises (FTTP) network, availability may be limited. Use our free FTTP checker to see if these faster speeds are accessible for your business.
BTnet Leased Line for Businesses
For businesses requiring top-tier speed and reliability, BT’s BTnet Leased Line provides dedicated, uncontended bandwidth and is backed by a 100% target availability SLA. The leased line package offers symmetric upload and download speeds up to 10Gbps, ideal for businesses that depend on a fast, uninterrupted connection.
Prices start at £195 per month for a 50Mbps line, with 100Mbps options available from £370 per month.
Is a Business Phone Line Included?
All of BT’s bundled business phone and broadband packages include a Value Line with standard features such as BT 1471, BT Answer 1571, and Caller Display. Optional features like call diversion and call waiting can be added. Customers requiring faster fault fixes and additional features can upgrade to BT’s Featureline.
If you already have a BT phone line, you can purchase their business broadband separately, although it’s often more cost-effective to buy them together.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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