cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Home or Business Broadband

Jimboy
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎26-03-2020

Home or Business Broadband

I am a home user and do not have a business. I would like to know if If I can have a Business broadband account and what the advantages are.

Thanks in advance

12 REPLIES 12
jab1
Legend
Posts: 16,820
Thanks: 5,346
Fixes: 248
Registered: ‎24-02-2012

Re: Home or Business Broadband

@Jimboy I don't think it is possible to have a business connection as a home user, but there are very few advantages for you - and a big 'gotcha' - they are relatively expensive.

AFAIK the only differences are that you get a (very slightly) improved response time for fault resolution, and a fixed IP for nothing - but as that is a one-off £5.00 on residential accounts anyway - not worth much.

There may be other 'advantages' but I would suggest they would be of little use to a home user.

I can't really comment any further, but hopefully a PN Help Team member will comment.

John
pjmarsh
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 4,030
Thanks: 1,575
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Home or Business Broadband

Other differences off the top of my head are 24/7 support and VAT invoicing

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

jab1
Legend
Posts: 16,820
Thanks: 5,346
Fixes: 248
Registered: ‎24-02-2012

Re: Home or Business Broadband

@pjmarsh , forgot those but neither are much use to a home user? (maybe 24/7 support, but why?)

John
198kHz
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 5,730
Thanks: 2,773
Fixes: 41
Registered: ‎30-07-2008

Re: Home or Business Broadband


@jab1 wrote:

(maybe 24/7 support, but why?)


WFH?

Murphy was an optimist
Zen FTTC 40/10 + Digital Voice   FRITZ!Box 7530
BT technician (Retired)
jab1
Legend
Posts: 16,820
Thanks: 5,346
Fixes: 248
Registered: ‎24-02-2012

Re: Home or Business Broadband

@198kHz Maybe - but would that make me pay the extra? Don't think so. 😀

John
Gandalf
Community Gaffer
Community Gaffer
Posts: 26,563
Thanks: 10,265
Fixes: 1,599
Registered: ‎21-04-2017

Re: Home or Business Broadband

Thanks for your post @Jimboy 

Absolutely, you can have a business account for the extra benefits even if you're not a business.

Some benefits:

  • Free static IP
  • 24/7 customer support
  • VAT invoices
  • Option to buy Enhanced Care to be given priority if you ever experience a broadband fault

Let us know if you've got any further queries.

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
jab1
Legend
Posts: 16,820
Thanks: 5,346
Fixes: 248
Registered: ‎24-02-2012

Re: Home or Business Broadband

@Gandalf Cheers for proving me wrong (again 😉). IMHO, though - is the extra cost warranted for a home user, even if they are WFH?

John
Gandalf
Community Gaffer
Community Gaffer
Posts: 26,563
Thanks: 10,265
Fixes: 1,599
Registered: ‎21-04-2017

Re: Home or Business Broadband

@jab1 wrote:

IMHO, though - is the extra cost warranted for a home user, even if they are WFH?

That's probably a question for the OP as I couldn't possibly answer that. Wink

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,923
Thanks: 9,542
Fixes: 159
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Home or Business Broadband

@jab1

The bottom line is that under residential T&Cs anything other than incidental use for business related purposes is forbidden. The current reality of COVID has though somewhat made that a mute point.

IIRC in respect of phone line repairs there is no difference between the services. There never has been a difference in respect of broadband issues, though as Anoush notes, business can access enhanced broadband support,

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

jab1
Legend
Posts: 16,820
Thanks: 5,346
Fixes: 248
Registered: ‎24-02-2012

Re: Home or Business Broadband

@Townman I understand all that, although I don't quite see how an ISP can police the policy. Not that it matters now as I'm no longer a PN customer, but I used my connection for 'business purposes' for a couple of months a few years back when I was 'WFH' part-time after a medical problem made it hard to actually go to the office. No come-backs.

Actually, thinking back, I wasn't with PN back then, but it was still a residential account.

John
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,923
Thanks: 9,542
Fixes: 159
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Home or Business Broadband

Having T&Cs and policing them are not the same. The issue comes when someone has bought into residential terms and then gets irate that under residential repair profiles their ability to work is severely impacted.

If one so desperately needs internet to support one’s livelihood then one should purchase a service which is more suited to that need. Plusnet might not be the best supplier for that level of dependency. Business dependency really does need same day (or 24 hour) fix for phone faults.

When the use is clearly against the T&Cs users ought not to be expecting preferential service because their ability to earn is impacted in the manner we see so very often around this forum.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

jab1
Legend
Posts: 16,820
Thanks: 5,346
Fixes: 248
Registered: ‎24-02-2012

Re: Home or Business Broadband

Understood - and in the case I mentioned above, that was not the situation. My employers were still paying me - we had very good sick-pay terms back then - and I was WFH  by choice, if my connection failed, as it quite often did, a quick phone call and what I was working on was picked up by colleagues and the IT dept. sorted the connection issue.

John