Best business broadband for small businesses – top 5 for 2023
4-minute read
Business broadband is a level up from the options you can get for a home package. Whether you’re just setting up your business or looking for a new deal, having reliable, affordable, and fast broadband is essential.
To help you research your options, we’ve compiled a list of the top five business broadband providers in the UK.
Top business broadband providers – at a glance
If you’re running your business from a commercial premises – of whatever size – then a reliable business broadband service is one of the first things you’ll need to set up.
But how do you find the best business broadband provider? Price and speed are going to be key considerations, but it’s also important to look at customer service and reviews when making your decision.
This guide isn’t intended for home-based businesses, which use home broadband packages, however it might be an idea to see if your provider offers any ‘add-ons’ to strengthen your cyber security.
See the table below for a quick overview of the different providers and the key features we ranked them on.
Provider | Monthly cost | Download speeds | Set up fee | Complaints to Ofcom* | Trustpilot score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sky | £27.95 to £47.50 | 76Mbps up to 500Mbps Option to flex up to 900Mbps | £99 Openreach install may apply | 5 | 1.5 |
Virgin Media | £33 to £60 | 400Mbps up to 1,000Mbps | £50 minimum for each site | 15 | 1.9 |
BT | £22.95 (new customers) | 76Mbps up to 900Mbps | £125 new line / £20 reactivation (+ hub delivery and broadband connection charges) | 12 | 1.5 |
EE (BT) | 20% discount on BT fee | 76Mbps up to 900Mbps | £125 new line / £20 reactivation (+ hub delivery and broadband connection charges) | 7 | 1.5 |
Vodafone | £20.50 to £30.50 | Up to 900Mbps | £0 (depending on plan) | 16 | 4.1 |
*Based on Ofcom complaints for every 100,000 customers, for the first quarter of the year (Jan to March 2023)
This article is intended as a guide and speeds will depend on what's available in your area.
Compare business broadband options for your business
In no particular order, these are some of the main options for business broadband out there.
Sky Business
Sky Business fibre broadband offers three packages at different price points and speeds:
- Essential
- Pro
- Plus
Contract lengths: 24 to 36 months
There’s a range of superfast and ultrafast speeds depending on what you pay for. It operates on wifi 6, and you can connect up to 100 devices and set up a phone line with unlimited calls.
Virgin Media
Virgin Media business broadband has four packages available based on download speed you need:
- Voom 400
- Voom 600
- Voom 800
- Voom Gig1
There’s also the option for a business phone and broadband bundle backed up by 4G or a broadband and SIM package.
Contract length: 24 months
Small businesses can benefit from a flexible package, so you can alter your package if your business needs change. Virgin also promises no price changes mid-contract.
If you don’t work on a business premises and instead run your business from home, you can look into Virgins HomeWorks package.
BT
BT business broadband has four products you can choose from, depending if you’re just looking for broadband or if you also need a phone line:
- Broadband essential
- Broadband enhanced
- Broadband and phone line essential
- Broadband and phone line enhanced
Contract length: 24 months
The enhanced packages come with extras such as 4G backup guaranteed and expert tech support.
EE (BT business broadband)
Existing EE business customers can add BT broadband to their package. An EE + BT broadband package gives 20 per cent off a new business broadband product for EE business customers.
Contract length: 24 months
You can check speeds and deals on the BT website.
Vodafone
Vodafone business broadband offers these packages for businesses:
- Fibre broadband
- Pro II fibre broadband
Contract length: 36 months
Broadband uses wifi 6E and the Pro II plan comes with dedicated support.
It’s worth noting that there are no upfront fees and they offer free installation for the Pro II package.
While Vodafone has slightly more customer complaints according to the Ofcom report, the provider has the highest score on Trustpilot. Although this includes customer reviews based on other services as well as broadband.
Business broadband checker – compare deals
Enter your postcode on comparison website Uswitch to check business broadband deals and speeds available in your area.
In summary…
Overall Sky had the fewest broadband complaints between January and March 2023, according to Ofcom’s latest report. It’s also one of the mid-range in terms of cost so could be a good option for smaller businesses.
Virgin Media’s option to flex your contract depending on your business needs could also be attractive to growing businesses as needs change over time. It does offer the fastest maximum download speeds but the price points are at the top end.
What’s best for your business will depend on your budget and what’s actually available in your area. As always, this article is intended as a guide and it’s important to do your own thorough research before making a decision.
What about mobile broadband for business?
Mobile broadband allows you to connect your laptop or tablet to the internet using 3G, 4G, and 5G. This means your employees can connect to your wifi from anywhere, whether they’re abroad or in the office.
Many of the providers we’ve mentioned in this article offer mobile broadband deals, but it’s worth speaking to your existing business mobile supplier to see if they offer any special offers.
Are you researching business broadband for your small business? Let us know your tips and experience in the comments below.
More guides for small businesses
Get personalised insurance for your business
Whether your company needs business interruption insurance, public liability insurance or something else entirely, our award-winning team of insurance experts will work with you to provide the cover you need. Get a quote online, or talk to our expert team on 0330 165 4988 who can walk you through the process.
Start your quote
Written by
Catriona Smith
Catriona Smith is a content and marketing professional with 12 years’ experience across the financial services, higher education, and insurance sectors. She’s also a trained NCTJ Gold Standard journalist. As a Senior Copywriter at Simply Business, Catriona has in-depth knowledge of small business concerns and specialises in tax, marketing, and business operations. Catriona lives in the seaside city of Brighton where she’s also a freelance yoga teacher.
We create this content for general information purposes and it should not be taken as advice. Always take professional advice. Read our full disclaimer
Keep up to date with Simply Business. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and follow us on social media.
Subscribe to our newsletterInsurance
Public liability insuranceBusiness insuranceProfessional indemnity insuranceEmployers’ liability insuranceLandlord insuranceTradesman insuranceSelf-employed insuranceRestaurant insuranceVan insuranceInsurersAbout
About usOur teamAwardsPress releasesPartners & affiliatesOur charitable workModern Slavery ActSection 172 statementSocial mediaSite mapAddress
6th Floor99 Gresham StreetLondonEC2V 7NG
Northampton 900900 Pavilion DriveNorthamptonNN4 7RG
© Copyright 2024 Simply Business. All Rights Reserved. Simply Business is a trading name of Xbridge Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial Services Registration No: 313348). Xbridge Limited (No: 3967717) has its registered office at 6th Floor, 99 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7NG.