West Midlands SMEs offered £10m bullet

SMEs across the West Midlands are to get access to improved broadband speeds following a £10m agreement between a Solihull firm and BT.

The Convergence Group said its five-year deal with BT would offer thousands of SMEs the same service as larger firms, thereby leveling the communications playing fields.

Bullet, as the new service is dubbed, takes advantage of BT’s Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) technology – part of BT’s 21st Century Network.

It uses the same Ethernet delivery system as big corporations, but it offers it at a fraction of the cost, provided the SME is operating within a mile of their BT exchange.

Entirely scalable, businesses can use as much or as little of the 10Mbps (Megabits per second) connection as required; only paying for what is needed. The increased bandwidth provided by the Ethernet system allows other communications requirements – like telephone systems – to be consolidated within the same service, streamlining operations.

The system also improves the performance of other business applications such as email, cloud computing or remote worker connections and adds a future-proof element for businesses needing improved technology in order to grow.

Neal Harrison, managing director of Convergence Group, said: “Traditionally, the Ethernet delivery system has only been available at a premium, which has priced out the majority of SMEs.

“It’s meant that whilst larger businesses can operate at greater efficiency, smaller firms are left at the mercy of a slower, less reliable service that can fluctuate, costing them vital time and money.”  

“For the first time, Bullet is going to offer enterprise-level technology to SMEs at a fraction of the cost. We’re very excited about giving West Midlands businesses the opportunity to benefit before we roll it out nationally later in the year,” he added.

Unlike most broadband connections, a Bullet line is not shared with other users, which side-steps the common problem of slower download times during peak demand.

Businesses using the new service will also have access to an online dashboard displaying real-time statistics, usage, performance and Service Level Agreement details.

Businesses can find out more by visiting www.bulletinternet.co.uk