By Rob Vivian, CEO of South West telecoms firm Pure Comms.
It’s frustrating when the speed of your internet connection suddenly drops and even more so for business owners who rely on fast, reliable internet for the day-to-day running of their business. 
Businesses are relying on broadband for a variety of crucial actions including email, web browsing, downloading/uploading documents, VoIP (voice over internet protocol) phone systems, analysing data and marketing through social media platforms.
High-speed broadband is also needed for businesses to compete with other businesses on a global scale and expand into areas like e-commerce to drive exports.
45,000 small businesses using dial-up speeds
A report from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) stated that 94% of business owners consider a reliable internet connection to be critical.
However, surprisingly, 45,000 small businesses are still on dial-up speeds and only 15% of firms say they are very satisfied with their broadband provision.
Faster broadband is in demand across the UK. BT has recently come under fire for its slow roll-out of broadband across the country.
However, even despite plans to increase internet speeds, broadband has never been – or will ever be – fit for purpose in business.
A better solution
Broadband has always been better suited to residential homeowners looking to use the internet. It was never really designed for businesses sending high volumes of emails, downloading and uploading large documents and/or holding increased amounts of information in the cloud.
An alternative is a leased line – a dedicated connection between your premises and the local exchange. It is fixed bandwidth and offers identical upload and download speeds; and is not subject to contention with other users.
This option is more effective and can help business owners increase productivity and resolve the issues caused by leaning on unreliable broadband services to run a successfully business.
Another benefit of using a leased line is they don’t typically incur as much downtime and, although they are more expensive, will save businesses more time and be more efficient in the long-run.
Fit for purpose communication
Businesses shouldn’t be using broadband as slow speeds and poor coverage can put them at a disadvantage. A major government rethink is needed but businesses also need to take a serious look at their broadband provision and seek alternatives to ensure their communications are fit for purpose.
Ultimately, expecting broadband to work for your business is like buying a Mini Metro and expecting it to perform like a Lamborghini.
