Virgin Media O2 boosts small business broadband in UK

One of the consequences of the pandemic has been small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) using their connections to send and receive more data than ever, so Virgin Media O2 is boosting upload speeds for customers of its Voom Fibre business broadband package to help small businesses bounce back.

The newly merged Virgin Media O2 says SMEs are vital to the economy, generating 50% of total business revenue and employing more than four in 10 workers. The upgrade is designed to offer businesses working in more than 100,000 locations across the country a speed boost, with millions more able to sign up for ultrafast services to support their recovery, allowing them to send and share files, access cloud applications and make video calls more quickly.

The company said that research conducted during the pandemic has revealed that more than two-thirds of SMEs reported a decline in revenues, with nearly half adapting or pivoting their business model and embracing new technology in response. Virgin said three-quarters believe changes made during the pandemic will become permanent, with digital connectivity set to remain vital for the smallest businesses even after restrictions ease.

Effective immediately, all small business customers of the operator’s Voom Fibre broadband services will see their upload speed increase – with some customers’ speeds more than doubling – at no extra charge. Jo Bertram, managing director, business and wholesale at Virgin Media O2, said: “After a very challenging year, connectivity has been core to survival for many small businesses, with most uploading and downloading more than ever before. As part of our mission to upgrade the UK, we want to help get our nation’s entrepreneurs back on their feet, starting with a free digital boost.”

Voom Fibre broadband packages will offer download speeds starting at 350Mbps, and reaching 500Mbps on Voom 500, with customers able to choose from several packages offering different upload speeds, service level agreements and static IP options. After the upgrade, upload speeds will start at 20Mbps and reach speeds of 50Mbps on the Voom 500 package.

Small businesses can add business phone lines with unlimited calls to their package, as well as additional features such as call diversion and call waiting services. Virgin has also enabled customers to add a 4G back-up service to their bundle to keep them connected in the event of an interruption to their fixed broadband service.