Customers of BTNet services were recently hit by news that practically all BT services — including broadband, TV, and line rental — would be increasing in price by between 5 and 6 percent from 2nd April 2017. If BT is your current internet service provider, what can you do about these price hikes?

There’s really 3 options that are available to businesses:

Stick with BT
You may wish to remain with BT, and keep receiving the same BTNet service. If you have a good contract or a price guarantee, then this could be the most cost effective option for you, and will also not involved any sort of disruption. However, modern business broadband is all about future proofing, and staying with BT isn’t a good way to do that, as your price could rise significantly at the end of your contract. It’s always worth comparing business costs, even if you ultimately decide to stick with the same provider.

Switch Internet Service Provider
Many businesses choose to compare business costs today, whether that’s leased line comparison, business telephone comparison, or anything else. By comparing different services offered by different providers, it’s quick and easy to see if you could be getting a better deal elsewhere. Don’t worry if you’re stuck in a contact; under Ofcom regulations, you’re able to switch your internet service provider as long as the change is made within 30 days from receipt of notice from BT regarding the price increases.

Look on the Bright Side
While many customers are upset and angry about these changes that have been proposed by BT, there is actually a silver lining to the whole situation. It provides businesses with an opportunity to really take a close look at their current business broadband service, and determine whether the connection is continuing to meet their needs. With analysis, it may be that an organisation realises that business broadband is no longer right for them. This is the perfect time to upgrade to a dedicated leased line.

The Best Service, for the Best Price

At the end of the day, what it all comes down to is ensuring you’re getting the best service for you — a service that fully meets your needs — at a price that fits in with your budget. There’s many different internet service providers, packages, and rates out there, so why not shop around? If you compare leased lines and business broadband using handy online tools, the process is much quicker (and fun!).