Small business secrets...

In unprecedented times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, sharp declines in consumer confidence and decreased sales can threaten all businesses, but small businesses are particularly vulnerable. 

It’s no surprise that Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has cemented itself as the communication technology of the future. With BT preparing for the end of the landline in 2025 and Openreach rolling out their plans for Single Order Generic Ethernet Access (SOGEA) later this month where broadband will be made available without line rental.

The landline is going out of fashion.

A recent survey showed 67.2% would get rid of their landline if it wasn’t still needed for broadband.

A recent Watchdog investigation televised on the BBC this month found that many UK customers are not getting the broadband speeds that they are paying for. This is not the first time that the leaders of broadband and telecom services have been in the spotlight.

Why are businesses so against cloud phones?

“BT has announced that it’s going ahead with plans that would see its existing public switched telephone network (PSTN) shut down in favour of having all phone calls be made using VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol, or cloud phone) systems.” Read more here.

Ofcom has been concerned that phone line rental prices had risen recently despite wholesale costs falling.

Virgin Media has just announced that its prices for phone, broadband and TV customers are rising with some customers seeing a 4.7 per cent hike in bills, which could be up to an extra £48 a year. The new increase will start in November although some users will see the changes to their bills as early as October 2017.

The UK government has named the areas which will be subject to the ‘full fibre’ trial. This is an attempt to improve the country's incredibly slow broadband speeds which currently rank below most of Europe. Businesses, schools and hospitals will benefit from the pilot scheme in Aberdeenshire, West Sussex, Coventry and Warwickshire, Bristol, West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, which are the first to trial the full-fibre network.  

Earlier this year, telecoms regulator Ofcom proposed compensation for customers. Automatic refunds were proposed to be given to customers if their landline or broadband services are too slow, or if repair deadlines were rescheduled or missed.

A new report shows that across the UK the average broadband download speed is 16.5Mbps, meaning we rank 31st in the world, and trail behind most of Europe.