When a connection supports card payments, bookings or a team of people, downtime costs more than a slow afternoon at home. A home plan and a business plan can look identical on a comparison table and still be very different agreements.
Questions a speed figure cannot answer
Put these to the provider before choosing.
- Is there a service-level commitment, and what happens when the line goes down?
- What are the upload speeds, not just download?
- Is there a backup option, such as a 4G router, for outages?
- Is support a business line or the general consumer queue?
Match the connection to how you work
A single shop taking mobile payments has different needs from a design studio uploading large files. Work out what would actually stop you trading, then choose a connection type and a support arrangement around that — not around the biggest number on a page.
Keep a record
Write down what you were told about installation, support and terms at the time you sign up. If you later add a second line or move premises, that record makes the conversation much shorter.
Questions that matter more than a headline speed figure.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is there a service-level commitment? | Downtime has a business cost; a home plan may not include an SLA. |
| What are the upload speeds? | Payments, backups and video calls depend on upload, not only download. |
| Is there a backup connection? | A 4G router can keep a shop trading during a fibre outage. |
| Who answers support calls? | A business queue is different from a consumer queue. |