Thanks to a national ISP, I lost a good couple of days of data network installation.
Just great.
Winding the clock back a couple of weeks, I received a phone call from one of our long-standing clients that they were planning to move to new offices and they wanted me to install a new data network. Excellent news, two to three days of work.
Anyone running their own business will tell you that no contract is guaranteed until the final invoice is paid. This particular client is someone who we’ve looked after for some time, they are the kind of people you thank your lucky stars for. Really easy to work with, their word is gold and they pay straight away. The client you’re happy to go the extra mile for.
So, when they say the job is yours, it’s good as you can expect.
“Can you come and meet with us at the new premises, just to give it a quick once over, we need to sign the contract and sort out the move”.
I’m more than happy too, thought nothing of it, I’d already had a brief chat about internet connectivity with the client, and they’ve already checked apparently, there’s Virgin Media in the area so not a problem.
Normally I would have run my own checks but this client is switched on, tech-savvy, and very good at carrying out due diligence, so once again, no red flags here.
The day of the site survey rolls around and we meet at the new offices, oh dear, the spider senses started tingling.
It turns out the offices are part of a shopping centre built in the late 1960s, early 1970s. They were originally an old general-use office space, the place was stripped back to the walls enough to see old telecoms kit and wiring that had to be at least 40 years old.
The tingling just got worse.
During this site survey, the landlord’s agent/estate agent was also present and when the subject of internet speeds came up, it was glossed over / quickly dropped.
All the alarm bells are ringing now.
After some digging and to cut a long story short it turns out there’s no fibre in the area. There was Virgin Media in the past but the main feed to the area was cut during a major building works and all B.T Openreach can offer is poor quality ADSL ( around 7Mbs download ) with the hope of Fibre to Premises sometime before 2026.
The speeds available are completely unworkable for this particular client ( lots of Zoom calls, web-based programs, VOIP, etc )
We couldn’t even use Starlink ( that’s Elon Musk’s low orbit satellite system, ideal for rural areas with a bad internet connection ) because there isn’t a clear line of sight and no way to make the dish secure.
At the end of all this, we’re no further forward, a client who’s really annoyed, they’d spent months looking for the right premises and I’m out a cabling job. The only silver lining in all of this is that they hadn’t signed a five-year lease on the new offices.
If they had signed and then found out, I very much doubt the landlord would let them out of the contract or if they do there would be some hefty bills to pay.
Now the moral of the story is all of this; when you’re looking for new business premises ( or a new home for that matter ) internet speeds and connectivity should be absolutely top of your list of requirements.
Obviously, I’m biased but an older building with faults can often be fixed but if you’re stuck with poor Internet speeds you’re stuck with big national companies who often as not don’t really care. In my experience, they’ll get around to it when they are ready.
It’s 2023, and there’s no organisation I can think of that can’t survive with some kind of internet connection and high speed is more vital than ever for most businesses, even the smallest ones. Landlords and property agents have to know this, if they don’t’ they’re going to go the way of the dinosaurs.
Do your own checks, speak to a local I.T. provider ( subtle hint there ), and then check it all again. I’d even go so far as to suggest that you get something in writing from the agent / prospective new landlord, maybe even negotiate some kind of 6 months get-out clause if the internet isn’t up to your requirements.
Ok, this is where the landlords jump in and say they can’t be held responsible for internet providers in the area, that’s a fair comment but you can make yourself aware of what’s happening in your properties area and look to see what’s available. It’s got to be a good move, you don’t want upset client’s constantly on the phone.
If you are looking to move to new premises, get in touch and we can help you find the right provider for your business needs.
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