Business broadband checker

Connection types

Full Fibre (FTTP)

Fibre to the Premises: fibre optic cable all the way into your building. The fastest and most reliable option, with speeds up to 1 Gbps or more and much faster uploads than older services. It doesn’t rely on the old copper phone line.

Fibre broadband (SoGEA)

Single Order Generic Ethernet Access: fibre to the green street cabinet, then your existing copper line into the building, without a traditional phone line. Up to 80 Mbps download; the further you are from the cabinet, the slower it gets. It replaces FTTC as landlines are switched off.

FTTC

Fibre to the Cabinet: the same technology as SoGEA, but sold with a traditional phone line. It’s being withdrawn for new orders.

G.fast

A faster version of fibre-to-the-cabinet for premises close to the cabinet, up to about 330 Mbps. Availability is limited and it’s largely being replaced by full fibre.

Copper broadband (SoTAP, ADSL)

Broadband carried entirely over the copper phone line, usually up to about 20 Mbps. SoTAP (Single Order Transitional Access Product) is a stop-gap for places that can’t yet get fibre, without a phone line; ADSL is the older version that needs one.

Leased line (Ethernet)

A dedicated, uncontended connection just for your business, with guaranteed matching upload and download speeds (typically 100 Mbps to 10 Gbps) and fast, guaranteed fault fixes. Priced individually.

Speeds

Mbps and Gbps

Megabits and gigabits per second, the units for broadband speed. 1 Gbps is 1,000 Mbps.

Download and upload

Download is how fast data reaches you (web pages, files, video); upload is how fast you send it (backups, sending files, video calls, cloud apps). Businesses often need more upload than homes.

Estimated speed

Our estimate for your exact address, from the network’s line data. A range such as 60–80 Mbps shows the likely low and high figures. Your actual speed is confirmed once the line is live.

Ordering and installation

Switching (migration)

Moving an existing broadband line at your premises over to us. Usually no engineer visit and little or no downtime.

New line

Installing a new connection where there isn’t a suitable one. This usually needs an engineer visit.

Engineer install and self-install

Some connections need an engineer to fit equipment or connect the line; others are activated remotely and you simply plug in the router.

ONT

Optical Network Terminal: the small box an engineer fits on the wall for full fibre. Your router plugs into it.

Contract length

The minimum term of the agreement. Longer contracts usually cost less per month and often have no setup fee.

PSTN switch-off

The Public Switched Telephone Network, the UK’s old analogue phone network, is being switched off by January 2027. Phone lines, alarms, card machines and lift lines that rely on it need to move to digital alternatives.

Extras

Static IP address

A fixed internet address for your connection, needed for things like remote access, VPNs, CCTV or hosting a server. One is included; extra blocks are available. IPv4 addresses are scarce, so blocks larger than 8 need a short justification of how they’ll be used.

Care level

How quickly faults on the line are dealt with. Standard care is included; Enhanced and Critical care get faults looked at and fixed faster, with longer cover hours.

Priority traffic

Also called traffic weighting: gives your traffic priority at busy times on parts of the network you share with others. Only available on some lines.

4G backup

A mobile data SIM that keeps you online if the fixed line fails. It needs a router that supports 4G.

VoIP

Voice over IP: business phone calls carried over your broadband instead of a traditional phone line. It’s how phones work once the PSTN is switched off, and we can add it to any of these connections.

VAT

Business prices are shown excluding VAT, which is added at 20%.