Business Broadband Speed Calculator
What broadband speed does your business need?
Plan for the way your business works: calls, cloud software, customers and cameras. Estimate download and upload separately, then check real options for your address.
01 / Choose your business
Start with a business type
02 / Adjust your busy period
Use simultaneous activity, not every device at full speed. Staff is a fallback when devices are unknown; calls replace ordinary browsing. Your estimate updates as you go.
03 / Your next step
Your business broadband recommendation is ready
Suggested download tier: 80 Mbps. Estimated minimum: 66 Mbps download / 45 Mbps upload.
We'll check what's actually available at your address and recommend suitable options
Nothing is sent until you submit your enquiry.
Capacity is only part of the connection
A speed estimate is a starting point—not a substitute for a site review.
Reliability & repair
Check service commitments, repair targets, power protection and outage tolerance. A higher download speed alone does not make a connection resilient.
Wi-Fi & contention
Coverage, cabling and access points matter. Shared network capacity and busy periods can affect performance, even with a fast line.
Address & upload
Technology and packages vary by premises. Confirm the actual upload specification, minimum speeds, installation requirements and contract terms.
Calculation assumptions — model v1
Active endpoints = the larger of active staff or computers + 35% of mobiles. Video and VoIP endpoints are removed from ordinary browsing, avoiding a second staff/device workload.
Each remaining endpoint: 1.5 Mbps down / 0.3 Mbps up, plus cloud software allowance of 0 / 0.15 / 0.5 / 1.5 Mbps each direction. HD video: 4 / 4 Mbps; VoIP: 0.15 / 0.15 Mbps; terminals: 0.1 / 0.1 Mbps; guest users: 3 / 0.5 Mbps.
Cloud HD CCTV: 4 Mbps up per camera; cloud 4K: 16 Mbps up, with 5% down for control traffic. Local recording: no continuous cloud traffic. Backups add 1 / 2, 5 / 15 or 10 / 50 Mbps for light, regular or heavy use. These are planning allowances, not measured application requirements.
30% headroom (50% for critical usage) is applied before rounding up. Download tier guides are 80, 150, 300, 500, 900, 1,000 and 2,500 Mbps; larger needs round to the next 1,000 Mbps, without a hidden ceiling. Upload warnings use screening checkpoints of 20 / 30 / 50 / 75 / 100 / 200 Mbps—not provider package guarantees.
For official coverage information see Ofcom’s broadband checker (opens a new tab). A provider must confirm what can be delivered.
Questions
Frequently asked
Is this a broadband speed test?
No. This estimates capacity for the simultaneous activities you select. It does not measure your line, check address availability or guarantee a speed.
Does 500 Mbps download mean 500 Mbps upload?
No. Many broadband packages are asymmetric. Check the quoted upload speed and any minimum commitment separately. A symmetrical connection or leased line may be worth reviewing for sustained uploads.
Why does cloud CCTV need so much upload capacity?
Cloud recording sends video out continuously. The allowance here is 4 Mbps per HD camera or 16 Mbps per 4K camera before headroom. Actual demand depends on codec, frame rate, scene and configuration. Local-only recording adds no continuous cloud upload in this model; remote viewing is extra.
Will faster broadband fix poor Wi-Fi?
Not necessarily. Building layout, interference, access point placement and device capability affect Wi-Fi. Check wired performance and the internal network before assuming the line is the only issue.
Should a business-critical site use a backup connection?
Consider outage tolerance, repair commitments and a genuinely independent backup connection, alongside power protection. Extra bandwidth alone does not provide resilience. Availability and contract terms need to be checked at your address.
How should I count devices and simultaneous calls?
Use a realistic busy period. Connected devices are not assumed to run at full download speed. Staff is a fallback when device numbers are unknown; video and voice call endpoints replace ordinary browsing allowances rather than adding a second staff workload.