Business Broadband Products FAQ

Signing up for business broadband

1. Which broadband product is best for my business?
2. What contract options can I choose?
3. What hardware options are available?
4. How can I find out if broadband is available at my location?
5. How can I pay for my broadband product?
6. How do I know how much data transfer I have used?
7. Can I pay for extra data transfer if I need it?
8. Can I restrict how much I spend on extra data transfer?
9. When will I be billed for any extra data transfer that I use?
10. What happens if someone else uses my data transfer, for example if my computer is infected with a virus that sends out information without my knowledge?

Upgrading from dial-up to broadband

11. What do I need to get started with broadband?
12. How much data transfer am I using at the moment with my dial-up connection?
13. Can I keep my IP address when I change product?
14. How long will it take for my product change to happen?

Changing to Plusnet broadband

15. Can I change to Plusnet from my existing broadband provider?
16. How much does it cost to change to Plusnet broadband from another provider?
    

General

17. Am I able to add VoIP to my account?
    

Signing up for business broadband

1. Which broadband product is best for my business?
That depends on the size of your business and your particular needs. There is a range of Up to 8Mb products so you should find something to suit you:

Business Broadband Option 1
Cost-effective broadband for the small office/home office, suitable for regular working from home. Option 1 is available with Up to 8Mb download speeds as standard (where available). It also comes with a 10Gb monthly usage allowance (free 12am-8am) and 240 VoIP minutes to 01/02/03 numbers.

Business Broadband Option 2
A business-class broadband solution for growing businesses with up to 10 staff needing to connect to the Internet. Option 2 is available with Up to 8Mb download speeds as standard (where available). It also comes with a 50Gb monthly usage allowance (free 12am-8am) and 360 VoIP minutes to 01/02/03 numbers.

Business Broadband Option 3
A premier business service that offers reliability around the clock with one great-value monthly payment. Option 3 is available with Up to 8Mb download speeds are as standard (where available). Includes IPStream Max for fast upload speeds and . Also comes with 480 VoIP minutes to 01/02/03 numbers.
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2. What contract options can I choose?
All business broadband products come with a 12 month or 24 month contract.

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3. What hardware options are available?
You can choose one of our great free hardware options when you sign up:

• 1-port router - connect your network using this advanced modem (supports both USB and Ethernet connections).
• 4-port router - easy to set up, suitable for multi-system networking.

If you have your own hardware you can choose the 'No hardware' option, which means you don't get a modem or router that you don't need.
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4. How can I find out if broadband is available at my location?
Currently, close to 99% of telephone exchanges are broadband enabled and 99.8% of telephone lines connected to a broadband exchange should be able to get a broadband service. So it's very likely that broadband is available to you. You must have a BT telephone line to get Plusnet broadband.
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5. How can I pay for my broadband product?
New customers can pay monthly by Direct Debit or credit card. Existing quarterly or annually paying customers who change their account to a Business Option service can carry on paying this way.
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6. How do I know how much data transfer I have used?
Using the View My Broadband Usage tool at the Member Centre.
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7. Can I pay for extra data transfer if I need it?
Yes. If you have used your product's included data transfer amount then you can 'pay as you go' for any extra data transfer you need.

Pay As You Go data prices
- £1.00 per 1GB block

(Prices exclude VAT)

Extra 'pay as you go' data transfer is ideal if you occasionally go over your data transfer limit. However, if you regularly do this you will save money by changing to a different Business Option.
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8. Can I restrict how much I spend on extra data transfer?
Yes. Use the Data Transfer Watch tool at the Member Centre. This allows you to set a maximum amount that you are willing to spend on extra data transfer each month. If you go over this amount you can choose to extend your Data Transfer limit, or pay for any extra usage you need on a pay as you go basis.
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9. When will I be billed for any extra data transfer that I use?
That depends on how you choose to pay for your account.

Monthly payments
If you pay monthly, you will be billed for any additional data transfer with your monthly subscription payment.

Quarterly and annual payments
If you are not due to be billed in the month that you use extra data transfer, you will not pay for extra data transfer until your next subscription payment. The exception to this is if you use over £5 of extra data transfer (£10 if paying by cheque).

If you use this much extra data transfer, we will bill you for it on your next billing date - regardless of whether you are due to pay your subscription this month. Your billing date is the date on which you are normally billed - e.g. If you usually pay for your bill on the 14th each month, extra data transfer charges will also be taken on the 14th of the month in which you've used enough data transfer to warrant a payment.

This example should help explain how you pay for extra data transfer:

'Dave's Builders' pay annually for their Small Business product on March 15th by credit card. By July 1st 'Dave's Builders' have used over £5 of extra data transfer. 'Dave's Builders' will be billed for this extra data transfer on July 15th, even though their actual subscription payment is not due until March 15th.

We will email you with the details of any extra data transfer that you use and any costs, so there is no need to worry. Also, if you want to restrict your spending on additional data transfer you can use the Data Transfer Watch tool - Find out more about Data Transfer Watch in Question 8
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10. What happens if someone else uses my data transfer, for example if my computer is infected with a virus that sends out information without my knowledge?
Keeping your computer or network secure remains your responsibility. To help keep you secure, business broadband products include anti-virus protection as standard. In addition, we recommend that you use a software or hardware firewall, along with anti-virus software on your computer.
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Upgrading from dial-up to broadband

11. What do I need to get started with broadband?
To get broadband you need to be in a broadband enabled area and have a suitable, BT telephone line. You will also need specific broadband hardware, which is available for free when you sign up.
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12. How much data transfer am I using at the moment with my dial-up connection?
That depends on how you are using your connection but the following example should give you an indication:

If you were to download from the Internet for 2 hours a day, using a 56k modem, you would use approximately 1GB a month. If you are just using the Internet just to surf and email, you will use around 200MB in a month.
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13. Can I keep my IP address when I change product?
Yes. If you're already a business customer and change product you'll keep your current IP address and any other features of your account such as webspace, CGI etc.
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14. How long will it take for my product change to happen?
By default account changes will happen at the end of the current month.
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Changing to Plusnet

15. Can I change to Plusnet from my existing broadband provider?
Yes. Contact your current provider and ask for your unique reference number, known as a 'MAC Key'.

Also ask them which product your service is based on. Once you have this information you can sign up to one of our broadband products.

Find out more about changing to Plusnet on our Switch page.
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16. How much does it cost to change to Plusnet broadband from another provider?
This is free.

Please note; a fee of £14.99 is charged if you choose a Plusnet product based on a different speed or contention rate to your existing service. This covers the cost of regrading your BT phone line.

Please see our Switch page for more details.

General

17. Am I able to add VoIP to my account?
You can add VoIP (Broadband Phone) to your account by going to the Member Centre and clicking on Phone Calls in the top bar. Alternatively you can do this by raising a Ticket using the Help Assistant. Go to Sales & Orders > Phone Services > Broadband Phone (VoIP) Information & Sales.
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This page last updated 17th July 2009