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 looked at the latest industry data to compile a list of the best business broadband providers in the UK.
Keep reading to see who comes out on top.
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.
Even if you’re working from a business premises, there’s nothing stopping you from using a commercial broadband provider instead of a business one. In fact, this will often be cheaper. However, you’ll likely miss out on business-specific customer support and better hardware.
See the table below for a quick overview of some of the most well known 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 | 1.3 |
Virgin Media | £33 to £60 (with discounts for the first six months) | 400Mbps up to 1,000Mbps | £50 minimum for each site – with the option to install it yourself for free | 20 | 1.4 |
BT | £24.95 to £44.95 (new customers) | 76Mbps up to 900Mbps | £100 one-off charge | 11 | 1.4 |
TalkTalk | £16.45 to £22.45 | Up to 17Mbps | £0 (subject to site survey) | 13 | 4.8 |
Vodafone | £23 to £30.50 | Up to 900Mbps | £0 (depending on plan) | 14 | 4.4 |
*Based on Ofcom complaints for every 100,000 customers, for the last quarter of the year (October to December 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 Virgin’s HomeWorks package.
BT
BT business broadband has three products you can choose from, depending if you’re just looking for broadband or if you also need a phone line:
- Essential
- Enhanced
- Pro
Contract length: 24 months
The enhanced packages come with add-ons such as IT support and a digital phone line.
TalkTalk
TalkTalk business broadband offers two packages for businesses:
- Simply Business Broadband
- Complete Business Broadband
Contract length: 12 months
While TalkTalk has the lowest speeds out of those on our list, it is the cheapest option – as well as having the shortest contract length. If you’re in the early stages of your business, or aren’t downloading and uploading a lot, this could be a good option for you.
TalkTalk has the highest customer score on TrustPilot, but did appear in the top five of Ofcom’s complaints report.
The more expensive package also comes with unlimited calls.
Vodafone
Vodafone business broadband offers these packages for businesses:
- Fibre broadband
- Pro II fibre broadband
Contract length: 24 months
The Pro II plan uses wifi 6E and 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 one of the highest amounts of customer complaints according to the Ofcom report, the provider also has one of the highest scores on Trustpilot – although this includes customer reviews based on other services as well as broadband.
What about the fastest business broadband?
If your broadband speed is your priority, perhaps none of the options above are for you. BroadbandGenie recently did a study on the fastest business broadbands, analysing 113 business broadband providers.
This is their top ten:
- Telcom (391Mb download / 357Mb upload)
- Triangle Networks Limited (400Mb download / 286Mb upload)
- Southern Communications (389Mb download / 357Mb upload)
- Fibrecast (403Mb download / 246Mb upload)
- Baltic Broadband Limited (417Mb download / 189Mb upload)
- Gigabit Networks (375Mb download / 307Mb upload)
- toob (349Mb download / 259Mb upload)
- Lightspeed Broadband (350Mb download / 224Mb upload)
- Squirrel Internet (331Mb download / 260Mb upload)
- Giganet (304Mb download / 264Mb upload)
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 October and December 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 – as well as the most number of complaints.
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.
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- Do I need public liability insurance?
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.
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