Business Broadband for Startups

Check the premises before you commit

The broadband a building can get is fixed by its location and the network that reaches it, not by the plan you choose. Two units on the same estate can have very different options. Before you sign a lease or agree a move-in date, it pays to know:

• Which access type the address has: Full Fibre (FTTP), Standard Fibre (SOGEA) or copper broadband. Full Fibre offers BT tiers from 100 to 900Mbps, with gigabit plans at some addresses; Standard Fibre tops out at 76Mbps; copper at up to 17Mbps.
• The minimum speed BT will guarantee at that address, which BT gives before the service starts.
• Whether Full Fibre needs new work. BT says a zero-stage install, where no new work is needed, takes 1 to 3 working days. A one-stage install, where the fibre has to be brought into the building, takes 9 to 18 working days, and where Openreach has to do external work the date depends on that work.
• Whether anything else might hold things up, such as needing the landlord's permission for cabling or a fibre route into the building.

We can run that check for a prospective address so you know what you are signing up to. See check BT Business Broadband availability and BT Business Full Fibre for how the access types differ.

Getting online before the line is ready

Startups often get the keys before the broadband is live. BT's Hybrid Backup helps here as well as after installation. It uses a Hybrid Connect device alongside the hub, and BT says it can get you connected on 4G while you wait for your broadband to be activated. Once the fixed line is live, the same device becomes your automatic backup if the line ever fails.

Hybrid Backup is included with Enhanced and Pro and can be added to Essential. It relies on a usable 4G signal at the premises, and speed over 4G depends on that signal, so it is a way to get started rather than a replacement for the fixed line. If you need a mobile connection as your main service for longer, look at business mobile broadband instead.

Choosing a plan you can grow into

A new business rarely knows how many people, devices and systems it will have in two years. The safer approach is to buy what you need now from a range you can move up through:

Moving up later is normal. Existing BT Business customers can move from Essential or Enhanced to Pro or Ultra, change access type when Full Fibre arrives, or add Hybrid Backup, Complete Wi-Fi Plus or a static IP; see upgrading your BT Business Broadband. Bear in mind that contract terms and any changes are set by BT and confirmed at quote, so we talk through where you expect to be before you commit to a term.

Security from day one

New businesses are as exposed online as established ones, and often have less in place. Every BT Business Broadband plan includes Content Controls and Web Protect, which BT switches off by default; turning them on in My Account is one of the first things to do. Web Protect warns about harmful websites and Content Controls filter categories of site. See Web Protect and Content Controls.

If staff will bring their own phones and laptops, Wi-Fi Security Controls on Pro let you approve devices before they join and group them. If you will hold client data and want a firewall managed for you, BT Ultra Broadband includes a Cisco Meraki security package. Our guide to business broadband security sets out the options plan by plan. And keep visitors off your business network from the start: BT's guest Wi-Fi is included on every plan.

A phone number for a new business

Most startups want a business number from day one, and BT no longer sells traditional phone lines. Broadband on Full Fibre or Standard Fibre needs no phone line at all, so the number comes as a digital service:

• A BT Digital Line: BT's Cloud Voice Express can be bundled with BT Business Broadband (not Ultra). Calls work on the Cloud Voice Express app on your mobile, or on a BT-supplied handset. See broadband and phone and BT Cloud Voice Express.
• BT Cloud Voice: a cloud phone system for a team that needs extensions, call routing and apps. See BT Cloud Voice.

Digital lines do not work in a power cut, so plan for a mobile in emergencies. If you are taking over premises with existing alarms, lifts or door entry on old phone lines, see the PSTN switch-off and your broadband.

A startup's broadband checklist

1. Check the address early. Ask us to check a prospective premises before you sign.
2. Agree a target date. Work back from your opening date, allowing for Full Fibre work where needed. See installation.
3. Decide how much downtime you can live with. If none, include Hybrid Backup, which BT says can also connect you on 4G while you wait for the line to be activated.
4. Size the speed. Think about video calls, cloud apps, uploads and guest Wi-Fi. See what broadband speed your business needs.
5. Plan the Wi-Fi. One room, or several rooms and floors? Pro adds Complete Wi-Fi Plus.
6. Sort the number. A Digital Line or BT Cloud Voice.
7. Switch on the security. Turn on Content Controls and Web Protect in My Account once the service is live.

Moving, expanding and outgrowing broadband

Startups move more often than established businesses, so it is worth knowing what happens later before you choose a contract.

• Moving premises. BT says a simple move can be organised in two to three weeks and a complex move can take up to three months, so tell us as soon as a move is likely. See moving premises.
• Keeping your number. BT says you can take a Digital Line with you when you move and keep the same number, which makes a move simpler. BT's terms on keeping numbers apply.
• Switching from another provider. If the premises already has a service from someone else, BT manages the switch with them. BT says this takes at least 10 working days, and that you could be offline for about 30 minutes on the day. See switching.
• Outgrowing broadband. When many people upload at once, or you need symmetrical speeds and a stronger service level, a leased line may be the next step. See when to upgrade to a leased line and BTnet leased lines.

None of this needs deciding on day one, but it is worth having in mind when you pick a contract term.

How we help new businesses

For a startup, we are one place to get the connection sorted: we check what your address can get, recommend a plan that fits now and leaves room to grow, quote, place the order, liaise on the installation date and help with Wi-Fi and security set-up questions. If you need phones too, we can add a Digital Line or BT Cloud Voice. Our prices guide explains what affects the cost; the figures themselves come in your quote.

Contact us with the address and your target opening date.