NBN reveals discounted business bundles

NBN Co has introduced new wholesale discount bundles in a bid to draw in more business customers.

The bundles offer retail service providers (RSPs) a combination of access to high speeds, committed bandwidth and premium service levels at a discounted wholesale price.

The network provider also launched the business NBN solution provider, an online tool to help businesses choose the most suitable NBN plan for their needs.

“Australia is a nation of growing businesses and we want to give all businesses confidence they are on the right broadband plan to service their unique business needs. The business NBN solution finder is an easy to use online tool that will help businesses order the most suitable business-grade solution available from their internet provider,” NBN Co chief customer officer Paul Tyler said.

“For businesses of all sizes, it’s important that they select the appropriate business NBN solution to meet their needs, including the right speeds, committed bandwidth and service level assurance.”

There are four bundles include a basic bundle optimised for smaller businesses, specifically plans with 50/20Mbps or 100/40Mbps, and three “Premium” bundles for successively larger customers.

Premium bundle S is designed for multiple phone lines for medium-sized businesses, which 50/20Mbps or 100/40Mbps with symmetrical committed speeds of 1/1Mbps; bundle M is for medium to large businesses requiring highly reliable networks to carry their business-critical applications, with wholesale symmetrical committed speeds of 20/20Mbps with a minimum of 100/40Mbps peak information rate,

NBN Co recommended Bundle L for data-intensive and multi-site organisations, with wholesale symmetrical committed speeds of 50/50Mbps and a minimum of 250/100Mbps peak information rate. But that performance comes with a sting: RSPs will need to acquire not just Bundle L but also another best-effort bandwidth product. 

All plans also have a minimum 12 hour enhanced service level agreement with 24/7 support between NBN Co and their retailers, supported by NBN Co’s new business NBN Operations Centre.

“We are pleased to see NBN Co recognise the unique service requirements of different businesses and that they are working together with retail service providers to highlight the broadband choices available,” Council of Small Businesses of Australia chief executive Peter Strong said.

“Using the solution finder, our members will have a better understanding of their needs and how to have a productive conversation with their retailer about NBN solutions.”

Ron Gauci of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) was quoted NBN Co's press release saying the new plans are a fine idea.

“We have businesses with varied levels of digital maturity Australia, and what we know is that one thing they all need is the right tools, including broadband,” Gauci's canned quote stated.

“Being able to match their unique business needs with broadband solutions with the NBN solution finder is a great step towards increasing their capability.”