BT has launched a new service that allows consumers to open a second broadband connection in their homes, regardless of the provider they’re currently contracted to.
The Dedicated Connection service is available to all UK broadband users and has been developed in response to research suggesting customers would welcome a second dedicated line for the purposes of working from home.
Users will not be required to pay for line installation or a BT Halo 2 smart hub, and existing BT customers will receive a £10 per month discount on the £59.99 24-month service.
Marc Allera, chief executive of BT’s consumer arm, said a second line would provide customers with a “single connection they can use for activities such as working from home, gaming or online schooling – enabling them to get a reliable connection without disruption.”
Encouraging reliable connections
Millions of workers across the UK have been adapting to working remotely during the coronavirus outbreak since the Government urged the public to work from home where possible in March.
A third of UK adults have experienced worse internet performance during the lockdown, the majority of whom have struggled to complete work, a report from YouGov on behalf of i found.
Three-quarters (73 per cent) of 2,301 people said they were using the internet more since lockdown was announced on 23 March, despite the UK’s broadband infrastructure largely holding up under the influx of new users during the daytime.
Half of people experiencing worse broadband performance (52 per cent) said they’d had difficulty doing work, with 15 per cent saying it had caused “a lot” of disruption.
“This difficulty in accessing stable internet increases as the number of household residents rises, suggesting internet performance is being affected by increased demand, Olivia Bonito, YouGov’s digital media and technology research manager, said.
Rise of the home office
“While many might be able to cope in the short term, it could start to affect productivity if working from home becomes the ‘new normal’.”
Recent research from analyst Gartner suggested that close to half of employees will be working from home at least some of the time once the pandemic has passed, highlighting the importance of a reliable internet connection.