BT is launching a new business unit to serve the 5.7 million UK firms with up to nine people working at them – about 95% of all UK businesses.
The companies targeted by the new unit dedicated to small offices and home offices (SoHo) range from start-ups to established businesses operating from a single site. The operator says this builds on BT’s Small Business Support Scheme, a broad package of measures launched last summer.
BT’s is simultaenously launching what it calls the UK’s first unbreakable Wi-Fi for micro-businesses, which also launches today. This guarantees coverage Wi-Fi across the workplace, fibre speeds of up to 900Mbps [presumably assuming its available] and free tech support, including an on-site visit.
Operators have a poor record of serving the SMBs and SoHo sectors, but their efforts have more than redoubled after lockdowns due to the pandemic. There is more information about BT’s new offers here.
BT will also launch a new suite of services and apps, which could include stronger cyber security measures, free digital skills training and new digital advertising tools, for example.
BT’s latest research has found that three quarters of the UK’s small firms are confident in the success of their business as lockdown restrictions lift. And with around 800,000 new UK businesses set up during the pandemic – a year-on-year rise of 40% – an increasing number are running their businesses from home.
Chris Sims, BT’s MD for its new SoHo unit, said, “By setting up this new unit we’re investing in the future of the UK’s smallest firms and start-ups which are the lifeblood of the UK economy. I’m really proud to be leading this new unit at a time when their success has never been more important in securing our country’s future as we rebuild after the toughest economic crisis in a generation”.