By The KTech team · Published 29 October 2026
If you run a farm, a campsite, a holiday let or an office down a lane in the South Hams, you will know that broadband is not the same everywhere. One side of a valley can have fibre while the other side struggles to load a web page.
The good news is that there are now several ways to get a decent business connection. The right choice depends on where you are, what you need to do online, and how much a bad day would cost you. This guide walks through the options in plain terms, without prices, so you can ask better questions.
Start by checking what is available at your address
Before anything else, find out what is available at your exact location. Use the address checkers on the websites of the main network providers, and the broadband checker on Ofcom's website. Check more than once, because availability changes as networks are upgraded, and a 'not available' answer last year may be different today.
Also ask neighbours. Local knowledge is often ahead of the websites. And ask what you actually need: how many people are online at once, whether you use video calls, cloud systems or card machines, and whether guests rely on your WiFi.
The main options compared
Full fibre (FTTP). A fibre cable runs all the way to your building. It offers the best speeds and reliability when it is available, and it is worth asking about even if you were told no a while ago.
Fibre to the cabinet (FTTC). Fibre runs to the green street cabinet, then copper to your premises. Speeds depend heavily on the distance from the cabinet, which in rural areas can be long.
Fixed wireless. A small dish on the roof receives a signal from a local mast. It can be very effective for premises with a clear line of sight, and it is often a good answer where fibre has not reached.
4G and 5G broadband. A mobile-network router can be a strong option in places with a good signal. Performance depends on your signal and on how busy the local mast is. It helps to test with a spare SIM or a demonstration unit if you can.
Satellite. Low-earth-orbit satellite services have improved things for remote sites that nothing else reaches. They need a clear view of the sky and an installation outdoors, and the experience varies by location and weather.
Each of these can work well. None is perfect everywhere. The honest approach is to match the option to your site, rather than starting from a favourite technology.
Plan for failure with a second connection
If your business cannot stop when the internet drops, think about a backup. A common arrangement is a main fixed line and a 4G or 5G router that takes over automatically when the main line fails. Two different technologies from two different providers is best, because a fault on one network then does not take out both.
Failover also helps with card payments, door entry and booking systems, which stop working quietly when the connection is lost. We can explain what a sensible setup looks like for your premises in our IT infrastructure work, and our page on business broadband goes into more detail.
Getting the signal around your site
A good connection at the door is only half the story. In stone farmhouses, barns and outbuildings, WiFi from a single router rarely reaches far. Planned access points, cables to outbuildings and, in some cases, a wireless link between buildings will do far more than a faster package.
Think about where the connection actually needs to work: the office, the yard, the holiday cottage next door, the till in the farm shop. Then design the network around those places. Our network and WiFi work starts with a survey for exactly this reason.
Questions to ask any provider
- What speed will I realistically get at my address, including upload speed and at busy times?
- What is the contract length, and what happens if the service is not as described?
- How are faults reported and how quickly are they usually fixed?
- Can I use my own equipment, and is there a fixed address for my router?
- What happens if the main line fails, and can I add a backup?
A local example
Around villages such as Modbury and the surrounding lanes, we regularly see premises where the answer is a mix, for example a fixed wireless link with a mobile backup, plus a few extra access points. If you want to talk it through, we support IT and networking in Modbury and across the South Hams.
Common mistakes we see
Buying on a headline speed. A number on a leaflet describes the best case, not what you will see at the far end of a long line on a busy evening. Ask what is typical at your address, and look at upload speed as well, which matters for video calls and cloud backups.
Relying on one connection. A single line is a single point of failure. Even a modest backup can keep a till, a booking system or a phone line alive when the main service goes down.
Forgetting the inside of the building. People spend on the connection and then run it through one router in a corner. A good plan covers the whole route, from the street to the device in the barn.
Ignoring the contract. Check the length, any minimum term and what happens if the service is not as described, before you commit. If you are moving to a different technology later, you will want the freedom to do so.
Not telling anyone what you did. Keep a note of who supplies what, the account numbers, and how to report a fault. When the line drops at five on a Friday, you will be glad of it.