PlusNet is already considered to be one of the best value broadband providers in the UK for home users and now it has a fresh range of packages aimed at small and medium sized businesses who want quality without excessive cost.

The basic package is Business Option One, which has a maximum download speed of 8Mbps and includes a 10GB monthly data allowance coupled with a free wireless router. As with most PlusNet deals there is also unlimited off-peak usage, which might be useful if you are planning on some late night working.

Options Two and Three offer more of the same, including larger data allowances, free VoIP calling, larger webspace for setting up a business site and faster upload speeds if you take the most expensive package.

PlusNet is consistently ranked as one of the best broadband providers in the UK when it comes to value, although it is also recommended for its UK-based customer service teams and its willingness to serve its customers. It has relied on word of mouth rather than expensive advertising campaigns, to grow over the years, which should be seen as a positive.

If you are looking for an alternative to the BT business broadband packages out there then you might want to compare their prices with the new line up for business users from PlusNet.

Simple Broadband’s Communications Manager Simon Gerrard said “Comparing the various business broadband packages on offer is always advisable and can save small businesses considerably. If it is value you are after then PlusNet offers a compelling range which is not compromised in any way by its low price and which offers even better value if you sign up for 24 months.”

A new move by BT, which will see it allowing third party providers access to its network of underground tunnels, could mean that cheap cable broadband from rivals will be on the way.

Fibre optic broadband is set to be the most common form of connection over the coming years as it allows for much faster download speeds than older ADSL technology using copper telephone wiring.

Firms such as TalkTalk have expressed interest in taking advantage of BT’s offer, which will allow them to lay their own high speed networks underground using existing conduits rather than having to spend millions digging their own.

Sky said that the idea of the open access was appealing, although admitted that at this time it had no interest in setting up a cable network of its own.

BT has been partly pushed into the move after it came under pressure from politicians and other industry groups to make the broadband infrastructure of the UK more open to competition. Obviously there is the potential for BT’s Wholesale division, which resells its current networks to third party providers, to lose out in the new plans, but for the consumer it is likely to be a catalyst in the availability of cheap cable broadband across a wider area.

BT will be putting one and a half billion pounds into its own fibre optic network and it will then be able to sell this on to Sky and others in the future. Some believe that the plans laid out by BT are relatively risky, although in general the move has been regarded with optimism.

Simple Broadband’s Communication Manager Simon Gerrard added “Consumers who are crossing their fingers for fibre optic broadband in their area should consider BT’s plans a very positive step indeed. Competition in the cable market can only mean lower prices and higher speeds in the long run.”

A deal has been struck between mobile broadband network provider O2 and telecoms giant BT which will see the maintenance and development of O2’s networks placed in the hands of its former owners.

You will have to cast your mind back nearly a decade to when O2 was known as BT Cellnet in order to see the links between the two firms in their entirety. It was in 2001 that O2 was born from a variety of subsidiaries of BT and later bought out by Spanish firm Telefonica in 2006.

Mobile phone and mobile broadband packages have always been O2’s main products, but after first offering home broadband and then proposing home telephone deals, O2 looked as though it would be competing directly with BT for the same audiences.

But relations between O2 and BT are clearly healthy, as the pair have just signed a five year contract that will be worth millions of pounds and will commit the BT Wholesale division to overhauling O2’s mobile broadband network.

Well publicised performance hitches with the current 3G network operated by O2 are likely to have prompted the inception of the partnership and the large volume of mobile data traffic that O2 has had to handle as a result of its growing iPhone user base is also a contributing factor.

O2’s Nigel Purdy said that the deal was indicative of O2’s desire to keep its networks and products relevant well into the future.

Simple Broadband’s Simon Gerrard added “O2 is clearly taking on board any criticisms that have been levelled at its mobile broadband service in recent times. With Orange mobile broadband free laptop deals making headlines and its rivals offering wider network coverage, O2 will really be looking to maximise its network capabilities in the future and BT will help to make that a reality.”

A new report into broadband use by small and medium sized enterprises has discovered that nearly half of all small businesses are not making the most out of their broadband connections.

Analysis of numerous small businesses around the UK performed by Business Link has resulted in statistics showing that 45 per cent of small businesses do not have a website or a plan allowing them to market themselves online and bring in new customers.

Two thirds of respondents to a survey conducted by Business Link also said that they were very much in favour of creating and operating their own website. Even the 55 per cent of small businesses that do have their own websites are not taking full advantage of the extras offered by BT business broadband packages and others.

Business Link’s Tony Cattermole said that there was a growing gap between those small and medium businesses who had jumped on the broadband bandwagon and those that had not.

Mr Cattermole also said that the small businesses that really took advantage of all that a broadband connection and a website could offer were able to generate income, contact customers and provide the perfect place in which to advertise new services and products. Since websites are relatively cheap to set up and run, they are also a more efficient tool for marketing and communication for small businesses than traditional means.

Simon Gerrard, Communications Manager at Simple Broadband added that “Business broadband packages offer enterprises a cheap way in which to create their own online presence and creating a website is always an important step for any organisation. If the results of the survey are accurate on a wider scale, then thousands of UK businesses could benefit from comparing business broadband bundles, taking the plunge and catapulting their enterprise to the next level.”

Mobile broadband provider Orange has come out on top once more in a recent survey carried out by YouGov which compared all of the mobile broadband operators in the UK based on real user experiences.

YouGov, which is an independent organisation, compiled data relating to various key areas in mobile broadband and Orange came out at the top of 9 of these lists.

The survey revealed that customer satisfaction is one of Orange’s many strong points, along with the reliability of its mobile broadband connections. Orange was also top dog when it came to upload speeds, which few consider when comparing wireless broadband prices and its mobile broadband products are also deemed to be easier to use than some other providers.

The last YouGov survey of mobile broadband providers was published back in October 2009 and it also found that Orange was generally considered to be one of the best mobile broadband operators in the UK at the time.

Orange’s broadband’s Asif Aziz said that he and his firm were glad to have been voted to the top of the mobile broadband charts once more and that it was representative of the hard work that had been put into their products and deals.

Mr Aziz also said that Orange put its popularity down to the quality of its mobile broadband networks in combination with the high levels of customer service that it attempted to offer to all of its mobile broadband users.

Simple Broadband’s Simon Gerrard commented “Orange is leading the way in terms of customer service, spreading the good word about mobile broadband. Other providers may offer faster download speeds, but it is clear from this new survey that a significant proportion of customers are interested in quality and not quantity when comparing wireless broadband prices.”

The next general election is due to take place in 2010, with rumours suggesting that it may occur at some point in May. As a result, politicians from all parties are beginning to make promises in an attempt to win votes and the Conservatives have recently announced that they plan to implement fibre optic broadband across the UK by 2017, with download speeds of 100Mbps accessible to a majority of consumers.

George Osborne, who is currently the shadow chancellor, said that his party would use the BBC licence fee to fund the continued growth of fibre optic broadband if it was voted into power. Mr Osborne also said that his party would push for offering fibre optic broadband in remote areas, relying on both private and public funding to ensure that the targets were met.

Mr Osborne compared the roll out of fibre optic broadband to the building of the railways when speaking in an interview on the Andrew Marr show. He said that hundreds of thousands of jobs would be created by better connectivity options, in the same way that the economy grew as a result of rail transport in the 19th century.

A spokesperson for Labour said that the Conservatives were not really proposing anything new with their announcements, but rather affirming their commitment to the government’s existing plans to make 2017 the deadline for universal high speed broadband connectivity. The Lib Dems also raised questions, but were concerned as to how the project would be funded.

Simple Broadband’s Communications Manager, Simon Gerrard, added that “whatever your political allegiances, it is definitely a positive step forward, showing that all of the parties are committed to extending high speed broadband across the UK, expanding upon current BT broadband options.”

Many business broadband providers are beginning to offer their new customers more of an incentive to sign up with attractive package deals and limited term offers to stimulate interest.

Heart Telecom, which provides business broadband and other telecoms services to enterprises in the UK, is one of the providers currently luring new customers with a tempting offer. You can get six months free business broadband from Heart Telecom at the moment, which is certainly worth examining in further detail.

The package offers 8Mbps download speeds and 1Mbps upload speeds, suitable for small businesses and home workers. The package also comes with a dedicated support service located in the UK and no fees to pay for the setup or connection.

Heart Telecom says that the deal can be taken in tandem with a number of its other services, which include business call packages, line rental inclusion and intelligent phone numbers for growing businesses.

Heart Telecom’s MD said that his firm was looking to give businesses a better deal when it comes to broadband. He also said that he believes that other providers should be doing more to make business broadband more affordable.

Heart Telecom manages each new setup so that the transition from your previous provider is as seamless as possible and any interruption to core business activities is minimised.

Simple Broadband’s Communications Manager Simon Gerrard added that “although the recession is officially over, it does not mean that businesses are no longer feeling the financial strain. As such, checking out business broadband deals that offer great value for money is essential. Small business owners and home-working entrepreneurs need broadband to keep connected and to identify opportunities for growth and success and this news from Heart proves that an appropriate service does not need to cost the earth.”

As of January 25th 2010, new and existing BT Total Broadband customers in an enabled exchange area will be eligible for the up to 40Mb service. This will be one of the fastest broadband services available to customers in the UK.

More good news for BT customers is the price. They are charging as little as £19.99 per month for the 40Mb service, which is more than £7/month cheaper than Virgin Media’s high speed service. However, in balanced against that, the Virgin Media offer, it is 10Mb faster than BT, at 50Mb, and Virgin Media are also very reliable with their speed – if you pay for 50Mb, you will get very close to 50Mb nearly all the time. It remains to be seen if BT will be able to get close to the promised 40Mb with such regularity.

One factor that is definitely in BT Broadband’s favour is their upload speed. At 10Mb upload speed, it does put most of it’s rivals to shame, up to 6 times faster than Virgin Media. It is always worth remembering though, the advertised “up to” speed and the actual speed you get can vary greatly with BT.

By the end of 2010, BT are estimating that 4,000,000 homes and businesses will have access to this new faster service, and they expect many to take advantage. With online gaming on the up, a high speed connection is becoming a “must” for many households with teenagers, making their gameplay smoother, and this speed increase could even lead to a further boom in the online gaming sector.

All 3 Mobile Broadband contracts have had a dongle upgrade! They have replaced the ZTE dongle with the new, sleeker Huawei E1750. The E1750 is no available, free of charge, on all contract tariffs, although pay as you go mobile broadband packages will still include the ZTE MF627 dongle.

The Huawei E1750 is a “next generation” dongle, and is typically twice as fast when uploading files such as photos and large email attachments. It is also 50% faster for general website browsing. It is compatible with both PC’s and Mac’s and has a plug & play design, making it incredibly easy to use.

If you are due an upgrade now or are looking to make a purchase, it is worth bearing in mind that another new dongle is due to be released in March, the Huaweu E122. This promises to offer even fast speeds, so is definitely worth keeping an eye out for in the coming months.

Competition in the mobile broadband market does not seem to be slowing down, as O2 has just laid down yet another gauntlet in the price wars by halving the cost of some of its mobile broadband deals in order to attract new customers.

Users looking for a free laptop to accompany their mobile broadband package are in luck, as O2 has cut the cost of certain deals in half, resulting in packages that previously cost £50 now setting you back just £25.

For your money you can choose one of Asus’ popular Eee PCs, which are compact netbook computers that favour portability over high-powered software. You can also connect to the internet at up to 3.6Mbps using O2’s 3G networks and there is a 3GB monthly data allowance for this particular bundle.

For those looking for a little more power to go with their mobile broadband, the £35 a month deal that includes a Samsung R519 with the same download speeds and data allowance might be more suitable.

Both of these packages can be augmented with an additional data allowance for £10 more a month, giving you a total of 10GB usage.

Given that current statistics indicate that more people are interested in free laptop deals than ever, these price reductions could really help to bolster O2’s customer base.

Simon Gerrard, Simple Broadband’s Communication Manager noted that “O2 has really upped the stakes here by cutting the prices of its mobile broadband packages. Currently every major provider is scrambling to grab new customers and with the price of Vodafone mobile broadband USB deals falling, alongside the cost of other packages, there are now plenty of ways in which to get online without breaking the bank.”