Here’s some advice on choosing the right product for your business
Standard and fibre broadband differ greatly in terms of the potential speeds they can deliver to your business. And just as the internet connection speed differs, so does the price.
Here’s how they contrast, and some advice on choosing the right product for your business.
ADSL broadband
ADSL broadband, or to most of us, standard broadband, offers download speeds of up to 17 Mbps. But the actual download speeds are normally much lower – the average across the UK is normally around 7 or 8 Mbps. You can check the maximum speed you can get in your area with our broadband speed checker.
ADSL uses existing business broadband and phone line connections, and is inevitably more widely available than fibre. It’s generally cheaper too, although at XLN our current fibre deals are so good that the difference is negligible.
Fibre broadband
Fibre broadband can deliver speeds that are several times faster than ADSL, and the average UK speeds are consistently good – somewhere around 50 Mbps. That’s primarily because fibre broadband is transferred through specific fibre-optic cables under the ground. These cables move signals a great deal faster than old, copper lines. And better still, fibre normally comes with a better performing router – XLN’s Super Router, for example, is three times more powerful than a standard one.
Fibre can be costly, but XLN currently offers a range of affordable options, including one package that offers unlimited, superfast 76MB Fibre at the lowest price in the UK.
What’s the right choice for your business?
It might sound obvious, but the crux of this argument comes down to what your business uses the internet for. And there’s a lot to weigh up before making the jump to fibre.
If you just browse the internet and send a few emails now and again, fibre broadband probably isn’t worth the expense. You can get a great basic broadband and phone deal, and a speed that does the job.
If however you take payments online, use web-based software or have several employees using the same connection, a superfast fibre connection is a must. Fibre is tailor-made for businesses that use web-based programmes to keep things running. Better still, fibre offers enhanced online security and is better equipped to handle things like cloud storage, so you’ll get more than just speed.
To compare standard and fibre business broadband packages, check out our latest deals.