How to cope without broadband

How to cope without broadbandBroadband access is a business essential. So what do you do if the location of your premises means you can’t get broadband or if your broadband connection is down? Here’s how to avoid lagging behind your competitors

Although it's now available to the vast majority of businesses in Britain, a small minority of firms still aren't able to get broadband.

And even if you are in a coverage area, there can still be vast discrepancies between the 'up to' speed your package is advertised at and the actual speed you receive.

So if you don’t have access to broadband, or a slow connection is holding you back, you need to find a way to manage until faster connections are available in your area.

(Don't know how fast your connection is? Use our internet speed checker.)

Broadband alternative #1: 3G or 4G connection

If you have a mobile phone signal but no broadband, you could buy a dongle to plug into the USB socket on your computer. This gives you broadband access anywhere with 3G or 4G mobile coverage.

Accessing the internet this way typically starts at £10 - £15 per month, but you don’t have to pay rental for a landline phone. There are also pay-as-you-go dongles available.

It's not really feasible to share a connection between more than one person, but it's a good option for a single user when fixed-line broadband isn't available.

However, many providers charge based on the amount of data you transfer. This means it can get very expensive if you use the internet a lot.

Broadband alternative #2: satellite

Another option is to install your own satellite internet connection. But there will be an installation fee and you have to pay for your own hardware upfront — and then ongoing charges from £20 a month.

Satellite providers in the UK include Tooway.

Broadband alternative #3: wireless hotspots

Wireless hotspots are a great source of internet access and they are becoming more commonplace. To connect to a hotspot, all you will need a mobile device with a Wi-Fi connection.

Hotspots can be found in places such as train stations, shopping centres, cafes and hotels. There is also a growing trend for 'shared' hotspots. Co-working spaces, where you can drop to use the high-speed Wi-Fi internet, are one popular form. You can search for co-working spaces on sites like ShareDesk and DesksNear.Me.

This option might mean travelling into a town, but it enables you to pick up emails and update social networks regularly. If you don’t use the internet at all, you risk appearing outdated.

The biggest problem with hotspots is that you're not always guaranteed to be near one. You should also consider data security when using a hotspot. Some connections are not encrypted, putting your data security at risk.

Broadband alternative #4: dial-up

You could consider using a dial-up internet connection, although this can be painfully slow. You need a landline phone and can choose either a pay-as-you-go service or unmetered monthly fee.

Dial-up runs at around 50 kilobits per second, which is nearly 40 times slower than even the slowest broadband connections.

Dial-up speeds allow you to do text-only tasks, such as sending emails. Downloading images will take a while, and you can forget about accessing online video.

Not many providers still offer dial-up internet, but you can try Freeola or Connect4Free. However, these days dial-up is really only for emergency use.

Broadband alternative #5: DIY

If you are not entirely isolated, there are growing numbers of people who have come up with their own DIY solutions. Individuals from the affluent community of Lyddington in the East Midlands set up the company Rutland Telecom in 2002, increasing download speeds from 0.5Mbps to 32Mbps with the help of investors, then offering services to local market towns.

Another rural farmer, Richard Guy, got so fed up of his snail-paced internet connection that he set up his own business to help other rural businesses find a DIY solution. Using a 4G connection, fibre optic cables and solar panels he built his own super-fast connection delivering speeds in excess of 45Mbps.

Or communicate offline?

Having no broadband access can limit your range of marketing options, but you could turn it to your advantage by making a personal approach your unique selling point.

Find out about local networking groups by calling your local chamber of commerce or scanning the pages of the local newspaper. Face to face contact can be more powerful than online conversations.

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