According to our Reliability and Compensation Report, authored by Assembly Research, the UK economy lost £17.6 billion in economic output in the past year due to fixed business connectivity outages.  

Billions of pounds were wasted. It's a sobering figure.  

How do you, as a business, guard yourself against this?  

By getting to know your internet provider's service level agreement (SLA), and what it really means.  

A transparent SLA lets you gauge how robust a provider's infrastructure is. The more generous the SLA, the more confidence a provider has in their network capability and reliability. It also guarantees that you will be compensated if downtime occurs.

So, what should you expect to see in the small print? Let's explore the world of SLAs.

What is an SLA?

An SLA is a contract that outlines and defines the type of service you can expect from your business internet provider.

It should lay out how they measure your service and what compensation they will give you if they do not deliver the promised service level.  

We all know reliable connectivity is paramount to your business’ internal and external functions, so SLAs are very important. They allow you to mitigate some of the impact of connectivity outages, but more importantly they serve as an indicator of the quality of the infrastructure you rely on. By scrutinising the terms, you can make informed decisions, ensuring that you choose a service that aligns with your demands.

Many businesses are in the dark

There’s low awareness surrounding business internet providers’ SLAs—and that’s an issue.  

Our research finds that almost a quarter (23%) of UK fixed business connectivity customers were unsure whether their contracts even included SLAs or SLGs.  

Among those familiar with their SLA, 21% didn't know if their contract specified compensation arrangements if certain service quality levels weren’t met.  

If you're in the dark about your SLA, your business could be vulnerable. Commitment to high levels of compensation from providers acts as motivation to technical teams to pre-empt issues, therefore fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

The good news is you can request an SLA from your business internet service provider (ISP) if they haven't issued you one (or you haven't seen one).

The economic toll of outages  

Consistent connectivity is not a luxury.  

Ofcom finds that 83% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) consider communications services fundamental to their business, so much so they could not function without them.  

60% of companies in London reported one or more service losses over the past year, with 28% experiencing at least three outages.  

Our analysis reveals that over the last year, the average loss of economic output to London businesses as a result of internet outages was £18,620. This equates to an average 314 lost hours of productivity (nearly 40 working days) per London business.  

Staggering numbers to swallow.

This highlights the importance of transparency in contractual terms, as well as auto compensation. Businesses should not be left with minimal or no compensation if the worst occurs.

As things stand, the case is clear: businesses across the UK are losing out to connectivity outages.

Don’t leave money on the table

Despite the average UK business losing over £11,000 in economic output due to connectivity outages in the past year, 61% of UK businesses surveyed reported that they did not receive compensation from their ISP.

For those that didn’t ask for compensation, the main reasons given were that they believed it was not worth the time and effort or they didn’t expect to get compensation.  

Only around a third of businesses surveyed reported receiving any compensation for connectivity outages in the past year.  

If only they knew it could be a seamless and automatic process.  

As a result of our findings, we’ve urged Ofcom to introduce an automatic compensation scheme for fixed business connectivity providers; we want this to become the standard.

Why we love SLAs  

Business internet providers can hold themselves to account by including automatic compensation clauses in their SLAs. This indicates confidence in their infrastructure and a commitment to their customers.  

This is how we use SLAs at Vorboss:  

• To highlight our confidence in our network
• To ensure we compensate our customers fairly and automatically if outages occur  
• To establish clear expectations between our customers and us (guaranteed uptime, response times, and compensation)  

We’re raising the bar by providing the most competitive SLAs in the industry, automatically compensating businesses after just 4 minutes of downtime.

SLAs should be transparent and include automatic compensation to give customers greater trust in their providers—and encourage providers to improve service quality.

The bottom line

Read your SLA, whether it’s your existing one or you’re signing up for a new contract.  

If there’s anything unclear, discuss it. If you don’t have one, ask for one.

If necessary, demand a more robust SLA to safeguard against connectivity issues.  

If your SLA doesn’t include auto compensation, claim compensation for outages if they occur.  

Every SLA should have a silver lining.

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In today's digital world, unreliable business internet connections are costing businesses and damaging the UK economy.

Our recent Reliability and Compensation Report, authored by Assembly Research, using data from the ONS and a survey conducted by YouGov, revealed that: 51% of UK fixed business connectivity customers experienced an outage in the past year, but 61% of those affected never received compensation.

Your business internet service provider (ISP) should make promises (in the form of a robust and transparent Service Level Agreement (SLA)) about keeping your business connected.

If they won’t make contractual promises, that says a lot about their confidence in their network. Automatic compensation would hold them to account.

The reality of internet outages  

Digital connectivity is a cornerstone of business operations, and the economic repercussions of poor connectivity are very real.  

19% of businesses with a business internet contract experienced more than three outages in the past year.

Overall, the UK economy lost £17.6 billion due to fixed business connectivity outages in the past year, with London businesses alone losing £5.7 billion.

Even brief outages that might have been tolerated ten years ago significantly impact productivity today. We’re more reliant on connectivity than ever before. And that’s only going to increase.

Tim Creswick, Founder and CEO of Vorboss, says:  

“ISPs should all be incentivised to compete on quality – that would force an uplift in network performance, and in turn drive a much-needed economic boost.”

The problem with getting money back

Even though connectivity outages are common, not many businesses receive compensation.

Only 35% of UK fixed business connectivity customers who experienced an outage in the last twelve months received compensation.  

Based on a sample of current tariffs, a meagre average of only £7.53 in direct financial compensation would have been available for the average outage time.

Businesses depend on the internet for everything from internal functions, like cloud-based services, to external interactions with suppliers and customers, so it’s critical they can trust their internet to work.

Especially as our demands on internet infrastructure increase.

The power of the SLA

Many businesses are not aware of the promises—if any —that their internet provider has made, or what they should receive if there’s a problem.    

23% of UK fixed business connectivity customers were unsure whether their contracts included SLAs, and 21% didn’t know if their contract specified compensation arrangements if certain service quality levels weren’t met.

This makes it hard for them to ask for money back when things go wrong and suggests that there's a significant change is needed in how internet providers talk to their business customers.

When asked why they hadn’t asked for compensation, 44% of UK fixed business connectivity customers believed the claim wasn't worth the time and effort.

34% didn't bother to ask because they didn’t expect to receive any compensation.

Customers should be the priority, and getting automatic compensation when things go wrong is one way to make sure they are treated fairly.

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While being compensated for internet outages doesn't fully make up for lost productivity, clear promises and automatic money back when things go wrong are essential to ensure that networks are competing on quality. And they’re essential to enabling businesses to make an informed choice about the provider that’s best for them.  

For detailed statistics and insights that can guide your decision-making, read the complete Reliability and Compensation Report.

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2023 Vorboss Gender Pay Gap Report

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The gender pay gap is the difference between the average earnings of women and men across a workforce at a single point in time, expressed as a percentage of men’s earnings. It is not the same as equal pay, which refers to paying women and men the same wage for the same job.

The 2023 Vorboss Gender Pay Gap report highlights our commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity in all business areas, including policies that encourage women to join and stay in our workforce. However, we recognise that the numbers produced by the gender pay gap alone don’t reflect the level of inclusivity and representation we aspire to achieve.

Our priority is achieving gender equality as a whole, and we have committed to reach gender parity across the company by 2028.

A highlight of the year was being recognised as one of the Sunday Times Best Places to Work in the UK and Best Places to Work for Women.  

You can read the full 2023 gender pay gap report here.

Internet connectivity is the lifeblood of businesses, powering operations, communication, and growth.  

In this guide, we'll explore key factors—network, service, and people—to consider when selecting the ideal business internet provider to keep you connected and thriving.  

You should ask these questions to assess whether you're getting what you need from your current provider or ensure you pick the right one.

Network

What infrastructure do they use?

When exploring business Internet Service Provider (ISP) options, it's crucial to distinguish between providers utilising state-of-the-art infrastructure and those relying on legacy networks.  

The network build is the foundation of your internet connection, determining the reliability and performance of your business' online operations—now and in the future.  

However, you may not realise that many internet providers resell legacy Openreach infrastructure.  

ISPs that build their own networks are more likely to have modern infrastructure that can accommodate the growing data demands that every business is experiencing.

Fibre optic networks offer higher speeds, lower latency, and increased reliability compared to traditional copper-based systems. Choose an internet provider that uses the latest technology available to ensure they will provide the data-intensive connectivity you’ll need now and in the future.

What speed do you need?

In today’s business landscape, having abundant internet is non-negotiable. You shouldn’t have to think about speed and capacity, as they are fundamental to everyday business—whether you’re a large corporation or small business.

Bandwidth (or lack thereof) can be the difference between making a landmark deal or dropping a business-critical call.  

Consider how much bandwidth your business needs to operate seamlessly now. Then, consider what it will need in five years, taking into account that data requirements are growing exponentially.

Next, compare the upload and download speeds offered by different ISPs. Pay attention to whether their service is contended, meaning the line is shared. You want to ensure that the speeds advertised are what you will actually get so there are no dips in service when your data needs peak (when many people are in the office at once, for example).

Many businesses are transitioning to 10Gbps internet (or above) as a strategic investment, enabling them to handle large data volumes and adopt advanced applications. Some networks are even 100Gbps capable.

The bottom line is that you should never even come close to outgrowing your digital capabilities. Consider the trifecta of speed, capacity, and scalability to make an informed decision that aligns with your business goals.

Can you rely on them?

Every minute of interrupted connectivity can result in financial losses, missed opportunities, and frustrated clients.  

Reduce the risk of downtime by assessing business ISPs on their reliability. Compare their Service Level Agreements (SLAs), which set the expectations for uptime, response time, and issue resolution. A robust SLA indicates how confident the ISP is with their network and ensures your business has a safety net.  

You should also look out for ISPs that use diverse lines. This is when they install backup routes that will be unaffected if the primary connections go down. The data can, therefore, travel down a separate route whilst they fix the connection on the other line.

Be thorough in your research to ensure you minimise financial losses, decreased productivity, and customer and employee frustration.  

Are they dedicated to businesses?

Providers dedicated exclusively to businesses have an in-depth understanding of the distinct needs and challenges businesses face.

Unlike providers serving residential and business customers, business-only specialists have exclusive infrastructure for their business clients.

These ISPs are well-versed in the essential features that matter to enterprises. Whether it's advanced security protocols, reliable connectivity, or specific bandwidth requirements, they prioritise features that contribute to the success of businesses.

They are also more likely to offer tailored solutions that align with the specific requirements of businesses, from custom packages to scalable plans.

Service

How smooth is the on-boarding process?

The installation process for your business internet should be seamless and designed to minimise disruptions.  

Whether transitioning from a previous provider or setting up a new connection, a quick and easy installation process reduces downtime for your business.

Ask about timelines to assess the level of support you will receive during the onboarding process. A provider prioritising a smooth experience demonstrates a commitment to customer satisfaction, setting the tone for a productive and lasting partnership.

Vertically integrated ISPs, who do everything in house, will be more efficient in delivering your connection. From the Installation Technician who surveys your building to the Wayleave Officer managing the legal component, the fibre delivery journey will be drastically better than industry norms.

How clear is the contract?

Transparency in pricing and contracts is paramount. The last thing you want is to discover hidden costs or navigate through convoluted terms that can impact your budget and flexibility.

Signs of a transparent provider include a clear pricing breakdown, open communication, flexible contract options, and no hidden clauses. This allows you to assess the overall cost-effectiveness of your chosen plan.

Here are some questions to ask:

What is the contract duration?

You should look for providers with contracts that give you the flexibility to adapt to changing business needs, whether you need to scale up your services or adjust.

A clear and concise contract eliminates confusion and ensures that both parties are on the same page regarding the service’s duration, terms, and conditions.

Is the pricing straightforward?

A transparent pricing structure lets you accurately plan your budget and effectively allocate resources.

Unpublished prices indicate that they could inflate pricing on a case-by-case basis. All charges should be clear upfront, helping you avoid unexpected fees emerging during your contract.

Does the SLA include fair compensation measures for downtime?

Green flags include a clear definition of what constitutes downtime, a transparent compensation structure, automatic compensation, and proactive communication if an issue arises.  

People

Do they get to know their customers?

We’re in a digital world, but businesses prioritising strong customer relationships still reign supreme. Your ISP should take the time to get to know the specific needs of your business and engage in proactive communication, whether it's informing you about potential maintenance or updating you on service improvements.

Assess potential ISPs on their available customer support channels and browse customer testimonials to gauge how much they prioritise customer relationships.

Think about it this way—would you prefer ringing a call centre or a dedicated account manager? Having a single point of contact who works in-house will give you tailored support and take much of the frustration out of issue resolution. Don’t put yourself in a position where you’ll be passed from person to person.  

What does the company stand for?

The team behind the scenes can tell you a lot about an ISP. The composition and mindset of the team play a crucial role in delivering innovative solutions that meet diverse business needs.  

A provider that values diversity is better equipped to understand and cater to the unique requirements of businesses. Embracing diversity in their team often translates to offering versatile solutions that consider various business needs. Look for a provider committed to fostering an inclusive environment, ensuring their team reflects various perspectives and experiences.

Also, consider whether they prioritise training and development for their team. A workforce continuously enhancing their skills is better positioned to offer optimal support and guidance.  

Finally, assess their mindset when it comes to innovation. A youthful and fresh approach indicates a commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements. A provider with a forward-thinking mindset is more likely to adopt cutting-edge technologies and services, offering your business the benefits of the latest innovations in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

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These insights will help you get below the surface when choosing a business ISP because this is about more than connectivity. Your company should thrive in the modern data-driven landscape; if it does not, it will swiftly fall behind.  

Finding a provider that aligns with your goals, empowers your team, and propels your business into a future where connectivity is seamless, reliable, and abundant will make all the difference.

London businesses are switching to Vorboss and seeing results. Find out why.

Anniversaries are a time to appreciate the present, reflect on the past, and consider the future. As we celebrate another year at Vorboss, one word springs to mind when looking in the rear view mirror and the road ahead: upgrade.  

We conceived Vorboss as an 'upgrade' to London's existing internet infrastructure and designed our network to be future-ready without the need for costly retrofits. By provisioning beyond peak capacity from the start, we could create a future-proofed network that didn't require constant updating to handle London's evolving data demands.  

Get it right the first time

In the UK, there has long been a culture of under-provisioning. From public toilets and parking to railways and roads, we've historically adopted a 'just enough' mentality that delivers 'just enough' results.

But when the UK encounters usage peaks, its infrastructure creaks. Water systems dump sewage during periods of heavy rainfall. Railway stations close during spells of extreme weather. Energy suppliers promote off-peak use to avoid blackouts.  

Whenever demand surpasses the average, there are calls to upgrade our ailing legacy systems. Just last month, the National Infrastructure Commission's five-yearly review made a series of recommendations to modernise Britain's energy, transport, and water networks to boost economic growth. The review had one overarching message: we need an upgrade.  

However, large-scale infrastructure retrofits are tricky and expensive. They're a pain for the consumer. They're a headache for the utility provider. They're also wholly unnecessary if we do the project right the first time.  

The Thames Barrier, for example, was designed to protect London from never-seen-before tides and huge storm surges. Commissioned in 1972 and finished ten years later, it has safeguarded London for the last 40 years without major works. Foresight in the 70s has helped a formerly flood-risked city grow into a global capital.  

The same goes for tech infrastructure. In 2002, Amazon decided to revamp its computing infrastructure not just to handle its current internal IT demand but also its future growth. It moved away from unscalable computing hardware to cost-effective online data centres, effectively inventing cloud computing with the creation of Amazon Web Services in 2006. Initially designed for the support needs of its e-commerce arm, AWS generated $80 billion in revenue in 2022 and has powered the growth of thousands of businesses.  

Getting it right the first time pays long-term dividends.  

Designed with the future in mind

London is a 'global city' above ground—one of only two cities in the world (alongside New York) to be ranked Alpha ++ by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network for its integration and influence.  

But under the streets, London is a city of ageing cables, ranking 60^th worldwide for broadband speeds.

To be the world's greatest city, London needs reliable capacity that easily handles today's peak demands and tomorrow's emerging technologies. That's why, when designing our business-only fibre infrastructure, we planned a network that would always stay ahead of the upgrade cycle.  

A network for the present and for posterity; one that didn't need patching up every few years or retrofitting for every new tech development.  

It wasn't long ago when, as the first business network to offer 10Gbps internet as a minimum, we were told that it was excessive bandwidth. But will it be excessive in 2025 as London's businesses harness the power and data demands of artificial intelligence? Will 100Gbps be excessive when London's companies use quantum computing to revolutionise the world of work?

Between 2019 and 2023, peak traffic and internet bandwidth increased markedly (with compound annual growth rates of 30% and 28%, respectively). Those thinking 1Gbps is enough at the start of a three-year contract are quickly realising how much the goal posts move, and we're now seeing our competition playing catch up.  

The end of unnecessary upgrades

London's businesses are used to operating with bandwidth limitations, so they’re always waiting for the next upgrade. But limitless bandwidth is available now.  

With a future-ready network that provides 10Gbps as a minimum and scales to 100Gbps, businesses can stop thinking about bandwidth and start thinking about their business.  

Just as unlimited mobile phone packages eradicated the costs of phone calls from our minds, 10Gbps connectivity will help businesses forget about the internet. No more glitchy video calls. No more buffering circles. No more costly upgrades.  

As we look forward to the future, hopefully London can start forgetting about unnecessary upgrades, too. Be it improving public spaces or enhancing transport infrastructure, we should do it once, do it right.  

By Tim Creswick

CEO and Founder of Vorboss

All modern businesses, small and large, depend on having reliable internet with enough capacity to power their ambitions. We’re introducing Vorboss 10G Growth to provide the necessary connectivity for London's start-ups, schools, NGOs, and SMEs to thrive.

Imagine how a dedicated 10Gbps fibre connection could upgrade your organisation. We supply internet for qualifying small businesses with unparalleled speed and bandwidth, priced at just £350 per month.  

Vorboss is an elite fibre network for London's businesses, but we are not exclusive. We are proud to become one of London's small business internet providers, giving more companies the chance to grow with direct, high-capacity internet.

Small businesses that qualify

So, who can take advantage of this opportunity? Any business that fits into one of the below categories:  

• Early-stage businesses and SMEs with fewer than 20 employees and with an annual revenue of under £10 million
• Non-profit organisations  
• Publicly-funded educational institutions

The need for high-speed internet knows no bounds. Vorboss 10G Growth empowers you with the connectivity you deserve and helps you break free from bandwidth limitations. You will pay £350 per month, instead of the standard £650, for our 10Gbps internet.  

Read on to discover how Vorboss 10G Growth can transform your business.

Benefits of Vorboss 10G Growth

Vorboss 10G Growth is transforming the way small businesses experience internet connectivity. Here are three of its benefits.

Powerful speed and capacity

We will dedicate a direct 10Gbps internet connection to your business that has the speed and capacity to upscale your productivity. The real-time and cloud-based apps you depend on most will run faster, and grinding uploads and downloads will be a thing of the past.

Scalability

We built our network with the future in mind, so as your business grows, we can grow with it. We provide scalable internet speeds of up to 100Gbps for your evolving business. Additionally, we are the only Internet Service Provider (ISP) that always guarantees a minimum speed of 10Gbps. You will never have to worry about bandwidth again.

Quick installation

We own our network end-to-end, so our in-house team takes all the faff out of switching providers. We measure install times in days and weeks, not months, ensuring your business stays up and running without delay. Our team can answer questions and solve problems fast and effectively because we don't use resellers or intermediaries.  

Jonathan Fren, founder of Keyboards & Dreams, said:

'Switching to a Vorboss 10Gbps connection has been a key part of our plans to future-proof our offering as we grow our serviced offices in Farringdon. Having grown from 20 to 200 desks since opening our building, a solid internet service is the backbone of our space. Vorboss has been with us every step of the way, with super-fast response times, a very professional and helpful setup and installation process, and a solid reliable service. We're very happy with our connectivity.'

Start your journey with Vorboss 10G Growth

Don't worry, our contracts are simple and clear. You'll have a strong 10Gbps connection, just like our other customers. No hidden tricks.  

We guarantee the price of £350 per month for the lifetime of the contract (12 months and monthly rolling thereafter). This is affordability without compromise, accessible to businesses who deserve it.

If you are a qualifying business, you can get started straight away by contacting our sales team. We don't use call centres; our experts know the network inside out and can advise you through the process. In fact, once you become a customer, you'll get your own Customer Success Manager.

Why Vorboss?

We understand the challenges that small businesses face because we've been there. We created a team of over 400 people from scratch, and we are dedicated to boosting London's economy through excellent connectivity.  

Our workforce represents various backgrounds and experiences, fostering creativity, innovation, and many perspectives that drive our success. We can now proudly say we're one of the best places to work in the UK, and we have one of the most diverse teams in the industry.

Our CEO, Tim Creswick, sums it up best:

'I know from experience that start-ups and SMEs face plenty of challenges, especially in tough economic times. Connectivity shouldn't be one of them. Providing a high-quality internet connection to businesses, as well as schools and NGOs, helps create a more balanced knowledge economy. It enables them to focus on productivity and growth rather than on bandwidth limitations. These are the educational systems and commercial markets of the future. By empowering them to scale and grow, with connectivity at an unrivalled price, we are investing in everyone's future.'

The future is fibre

Vorboss 10G Growth is your gateway to a future powered by high-speed internet connectivity and unparalleled service. We designed our offering to assist small businesses, non-profits, and educational institutions. It empowers them, removes bandwidth limits, and boosts productivity. With lightning-fast installations, a powerful 10Gbps connection, and scalability, we are committed to supporting your growth.

Book a consultation to find out why businesses are switching to Vorboss.