Connectivity

Business broadband.

Your internet connection now carries calls, cloud applications, customer systems, payments and everyday work. The right service is not simply the fastest one available - it's the one that fits the demand, service level and impact of downtime at that site.

Choose from SoGEA, full fibre and dedicated internet access, then add backup connectivity where losing the primary route would create too much disruption.

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SoGEA  |  FTTP  |  Leased line  |  UK-based support

Connectivity foundation

Give people reliable access to the tools they use most.

Your internet connection sits behind more of the working day than ever. When it cannot keep up, people lose time, customers can feel the disruption and everyday tasks become harder than they should be.

Get the right level of performance and resilience for each site, based on how your people work and what the business needs to keep running.

The right answer is not simply the fastest line available. It could mean SoGEA for everyday access, FTTP for growing demand, Ethernet for more critical sites, or a resilient second route where losing connectivity would cause too much disruption.

SOGEA

A broadband service without a traditional phone line. Well suited to smaller sites using email, cloud applications, Teams, VoIP and everyday file sharing where moderate bandwidth is enough.

Full fibre (FTTP)

Fibre delivered directly to the premises, providing higher capacity for cloud-heavy working, video meetings, larger file transfers and growing numbers of users and devices.

Dedicated internet access (Leased line)

A dedicated, symmetrical connection for sites running demanding or business-critical services, with predictable performance, stronger service levels and capacity for heavier upload and download traffic.

Failover connectivity

Pair the main connection with a second fixed, 4G or 5G route. The backup can be sized to keep priority services such as calls, cloud systems and payments working during an outage.

See how the main options compare.

Speeds, upload performance, service type and cost all differ. What matters most depends on how the site is used and what happens if the connection cannot keep up.

FeatureSOGEAFTTPEthernet4G / 5GSatellite
Typical speedUp to 80 MbpsUp to 1 Gbps+100 Mbps - 10 Gbps+50 Mbps - 1 Gbps+50 Mbps - 250 Mbps+
Service typeSharedSharedDedicatedSharedShared
Upload performanceModerateGoodExcellentVariableGood
Relative cost££££££££££££

Guide only: Your actual options will depend on what is available at the site, the performance you need and the final network design.

what your business needs

The best option depends on what the connection is supporting.

Your connection supports far more than browsing. Cloud applications, customer systems, video meetings, telephony and shared platforms all depend on reliable access throughout the working day. If the connection doesn't match the demands of the site, frustrations can build quickly.

Start with how the site works, when demand is highest and which services people cannot afford to lose.

Users and applications

Look at the number of people, cloud platforms, calls, video and shared systems using the connection during a normal working day.

Upload as well as download

Consider file transfers, backups, cloud applications, voice and video rather than making the decision around headline download speed alone.

Service expectations

A site running customer systems, payments or critical operations may need more robust service levels and more predictable performance.

Impact of downtime

Decide what would stop working if the primary connection failed and whether backup connectivity should be part of the design from the start.

BUILD A RESILIENT MIX

One primary connection may not be enough for every site.

Where calls, cloud systems, payments or customer services depend on connectivity, one outage can quickly become a wider business problem.

Broadband and resilience should be planned together around what needs to stay available. The backup does not have to use the same technology as the primary service - a second fixed line, 4G, 5G or satellite route may provide a better alternative if the main connection fails.

Mobile phone mast with 4G and 5G antennas overlooking a city at dusk

FTTP+ 4G or 5G

A practical mix for many offices where full fibre is the everyday connection and mobile provides another route during disruption.

Network switches with blue ethernet cables providing a second fixed connection

Leased line + 2nd fixed route

Useful where sites need stronger service levels and a second fixed connection that is designed to reduce shared points of failure.

Satellite dish mounted on a stone building in the countryside at sunset

Fixed+ satellite

An option for remote or hard-to-reach environments where mobile coverage is limited and another physical route is difficult to provide.

Business park with several office and industrial units

Different sites, different mixes

Use the right primary and backup combination at each location, then manage the wider estate consistently through one support relationship.

what improves

Make everyday work faster, smoother and more reliable.

The right connection should do more than get people online. It should make everyday work smoother, give critical applications the support they need and make it easier to adapt as demand changes.

01

More consistent cloud access

Match the connection more closely to Microsoft 365, shared platforms and the wider cloud traffic your teams rely on.

03

Less everyday frustration

Reduce the slowdowns, dropped sessions and capacity problems that make routine work harder than it should be.

02

Better voice & video calls

Give real-time services a stronger connectivity foundation, while linking to SD-WAN where traffic priority needs greater control.

04

A clearer route for growth

Review capacity, resilience and service type as user numbers, applications and site requirements change across your business.

check your options

See what connectivity is available to you.

Availability can vary by location, so the next step is to see which services are actually available to your business.

Reach out to our team to run a connectivity check and review options such as SoGEA, FTTP and Ethernet. They can then look beyond headline speeds and recommend the service that best fits your users, applications, performance expectations and resilience needs.

Check business broadband connectivity →

Laptop showing a Northampton broadband and connectivity coverage map

why dbfb

One team looking at the whole connection.

A healthy broadband line does not always mean a good experience. The problem could sit with the WiFi, equipment, an application or the way traffic is moving.

Bringing the connection and wider network together as one service gives you one team to call, a clearer answer and less time spent chasing different suppliers.

01

Compare more than speed

Match the service to users, applications, service levels and downtime impact rather than picking from headline bandwidth alone.

02

Plan resilience early

Consider the backup route when the primary service is designed, not after the first serious outage.

03

Coordinate the estate

Keep availability checks, ordering, installation, supplier communication and activation moving through one plan - regardless of the service.

04

Support the wider setup

Look beyond the circuit when the user experience may also involve WiFi, routing, communications or the application itself.

CONNECTED services

Broadband is the starting point, not the whole setup.

The experience users receive depends on more than the broadband connection itself. WiFi coverage, network design and the services running across the connection all influence day-to-day performance. Because dbfb supports the wider technology environment, broadband can be considered alongside the tools and infrastructure it needs to support.

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Business WiFi

Extend the connection through the building with wireless coverage designed around users, capacity and connected devices.

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SD-WAN

Manage several circuits or sites more intelligently, prioritising important applications and routing traffic across available connections.

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Network Resilience

Add a second route and planned failover where losing the primary connection would quickly affect operations.

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Rapid Deployment

Bridge installation lead times with 4G, 5G or satellite when a new site needs to be operational before the fixed service is ready.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between FTTP and dedicated internet access?
What is the difference between SoGEA, FTTP and Ethernet?
When should we consider dedicated connectivity?
Is FTTP always better than SoGEA?
Should we add backup connectivity?
Can business broadband support cloud telephony and Teams?
Can different sites use different connection types?
Can broadband include backup connectivity?
Can a temporary connection be used while we wait for fibre?
Can dbfb help if the line is fine but WiFi is poor?

Next step

Make sure the connection still fits the way your teams work

Review what the site uses today, where the pressure points are and whether the current service still gives people the speed, support and backup they need.