Small businesses reliant on broadband, study says

Around two thirds of small businesses in the UK rely on a home broadband connection for their daily operations, a new report suggests.

According to a survey of 900 firms by internet service provider Pipex, 64 per cent of respondents regularly use a consumer broadband connection, compared to just 30 per cent using a business-dedicated line.

The report also indicates that 69 per cent of firms said that not being able to connect to the internet was their biggest frustration, while 60 per cent said it was not being able to access email.

This reliance on consumer broadband may be down to the growth of home-working as 55 per cent of those surveyed said they are most productive when operating at home.

Lance Spencer, product and marketing director at Pipex, said: "The research clearly shows that broadband is a vital business tool and, with such easy access, the office may no longer be the preferred working environment."

However, Pipex claims that using a home broadband package for business use can have implications to connectivity, access speeds and service quality, which may be exacerbated with the more services that are being run.

Telecoms regulator Ofcom will next month launch a report into the actual broadband speeds being delivered by internet service providers in the UK.