Fresh from detailing its first converged consumer products, BT is now offering a new business service that combines its broadband and mobile networks.
The concept behind BT 4G Assure is simple – if BT’s broadband network fails, customers will connect to EE’s 4G network.
Businesses who sign up will receive a mobile broadband dongle which plugs into the BT Hub router, which will automatically switch if it detects a fault. It will then check for a broadband connection every second, and once a stable signal has been restored, it will switch back.
BT broadband convergence
Naturally, BT is offering unlimited mobile data, so there’s no bill shock if an allowance has been exceeded.
The service is included with superfast broadband and ultrafast broadband, and costs £8 a month for those with standard ADSL.
“We recognise that a reliable, always on broadband connection is essential for businesses,” said Mike Tomlinson, managing director for SMB at BT. “So we’ve packed even more innovation into our award winning Smart Hub to provide SMEs with a failsafe method to stay online.
“We are very excited about this new service because it combines the strengths of our fixed broadband network and the UK’s most powerful Wi-Fi signal with the most extensive 4G network in the country. This delivers a highly resilient broadband service which will keep SMEs – the backbone of the UK economy - up and running.”
BT has spoken of the potential for converged networks ever since it completed the £12.5 billion takeover of EE in 2016, but until recently had provided very little detail. However CEO Gavin Patterson made convergence the cornerstone of the company’s new strategy after the publication of BT’s full year results.
Although 13,000, mostly management jobs, are to be cut over the next few years, BT is to hire an additional 6,000 customer service and engineering staff to support its converged ambitions.
Last week BT revealed the first consumer converged services and is now hoping to give its struggling enterprise division a boost too.
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