03.12.07

Small businesses value broadband service and reliability more than speed.

Despite the emphasis government, industry watchdogs and suppliers place on connection speed for broadband, speed of supply is actually the least important factor for small businesses when choosing a broadband supplier, according to recent research conducted by UK Online.

Respondents, most of whom were sole traders or the owners of small businesses, considered reliability to be the most important factor, with service coming a close second, followed by value and price.

Although 75% of the research's respondents said that they rely upon the Internet for the success and growth of their business, connection speed was still not viewed as essential. However, the fact that nearly 70% of businesses said they used the Internet for emailing suggests that, when it comes to business communications, security is as important as speed.

Steven Malpass, who runs a Stoke-on-Trent based kit car production company, Blitzworld explains why a reliable broadband service is so critical to his business, "Over 60% of our business is done online, and by moving to broadband it now takes us a quarter of the time to manage and respond to the 20 to 30 email and web orders and enquiries we receive daily. As such, speed is a nice to have but reliability of the service is essential."

UK Online conducted the survey to investigate how Britain's small businesses, home workers and sole traders are using the Internet. Chris Stening, managing director of UK Online feels that the results vindicated the company's commitment to reliability as much as connection speed,

"We understand that when it comes to speed, customers expect to receive what they paid for which is why we always give them an estimate of the actual speed they can expect from their broadband connection before they sign a contract," explains Stening. "But despite recent reports in the media, broadband speed isn't necessarily topping UK consumers' list of concerns, and this is particularly true for business users, who have different priorities when it comes to their internet connection. As our survey shows, speed is only half the story and what customers really want is a reliable Internet connection and a service provider that actually delivers a service with 24/7 support. This has been proven by the fact that 96% of our new customers would recommend UK Online."

"Actual connection speeds can vary due to different technical factors, but the key issue is whether the speed available is stopping customers using their broadband connection and interfering with their day to day job," explains Manoj Solanki of independent broadband comparison website, Seekbroadband.com. "A connection that is very reliable is essential, particularly for businesses who risk lost revenues and damaged reputations without it. Another factor, sometimes overlooked, is the speed of response from a provider in resolving an issue following a network fault. How they react and deal with those situations, as well how reliable they are, is just as important."

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