Business Fibre Internet: Should You Switch?

Switching to business fibre sounds like a no-brainer, but in practice the decision is a lot more nuanced than "faster is better". What is the real difference compared with your current copper or coax connection, when does switching pay off, and where are the catches in the SLA? In this article we lay it all out honestly, so you can make a well-founded choice for your business internet connection.

What exactly is business fibre?

Fibre is an internet connection that uses thin glass strands to send data as light signals, instead of electrical signals over copper or coax. For a business, that translates into three characteristics that really matter: high symmetrical speeds, a stable signal and low latency. What's more, a business fibre connection is not a consumer package with a business label slapped on; it is a connection with its own SLA, its own helpdesk and often a guaranteed repair time in the event of an outage.

The difference from a consumer connection lies not only in speed, but in the guarantees the provider gives. A business fibre line is designed for companies that depend on their internet for cloud, telephony, point-of-sale systems, video conferencing and payments.

Fibre, copper and coax: the real difference

The most tangible difference is upload speed. Coax (the "cable" network run by Ziggo, and previously UPC) delivers high download speeds, but upload is asymmetrical and considerably lower. A top-tier 1,000 Mbit/s download package often doesn't exceed 75 Mbit/s upload. Fibre is symmetrical, so 1 Gbit/s download also means 1 Gbit/s upload. That is a big change for businesses that hold video meetings, send files to the cloud or make calls over VoIP.

Fibre is also less sensitive to external influences. Copper and coax can suffer from moisture, electrical interference and degradation over distance. Glass is barely affected by any of that. If you are familiar with the causes of slow business internet, that is an important difference: with copper and coax, the network is more often the culprit than with fibre.

A third difference is latency. Fibre has a lower and more stable ping than copper, which is noticeable in real-time applications such as VoIP, cloud workspaces and remote desktop. For a modern workplace where staff work in the cloud, that stability matters at least as much as raw speed.

When does switching to fibre pay off?

Switching doesn't always pay off. For a one-person business with a few email accounts and some browsing, a coax connection is usually perfectly adequate. The calculation tips once you add up a few thousand minutes a month of cloud, telephony and real-time collaboration. Signs that fibre will genuinely add value:

• You have more than 5 employees working online continuously in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace.
• Your telephony runs over VoIP and calls stutter during peak hours.
• You use cloud storage (OneDrive, SharePoint, Drive) or a cloud-based ERP or CRM system.
• Video calls are part of daily work and you notice freezes or lag.
• A few hours of downtime costs you money or customers.
• You work with large files that you send to customers or suppliers.

If you operate in a sector with strict availability requirements, such as healthcare, logistics or finance, fibre with a robust SLA is often a necessity rather than a luxury. For businesses that take hybrid working seriously, equal upload and download speeds are the difference between a smooth meeting and endlessly repeating what was just said.

What does business fibre cost in 2026?

The honest answer: it varies widely by location, speed and SLA. Rough ranges for the Dutch market:

• Small businesses with up to 50 employees: around €75 to €150 a month for 100 to 500 Mbit/s symmetrical.
• Mid-sized businesses: around €150 to €300 a month for a gigabit connection with SLA.
• Large organisations and multi-site operations: tailored pricing, often from €300 a month and in some cases well above that, depending on redundancy and capacity.

On top of that come one-off connection costs. If fibre is already in your building, connection is sometimes free or low-cost. If digging is still needed to connect your premises, those costs can rise considerably. Always ask for this clearly up front, and watch out for providers that recover connection costs through a longer contract term.

For most SMEs, business internet falls within the broader IT cost budget; the choice between staying put and switching is part of how you optimise your IT spending.

The SLA: what you really need to look out for

This is where the biggest difference between a consumer and a business connection lies. A Service Level Agreement (SLA) sets out what the provider guarantees: availability, response time and repair time. The four elements that really matter:

1. Uptime guarantee. Common levels are 99, 99.9 and 99.97 percent. At 99.97 percent, the maximum downtime is around 13 minutes a month or roughly 2.5 hours a year. At 99 percent, you are talking about several hours of downtime a month. It sounds small, but over a year it makes a big difference.
2. Repair time for outages. The agreement on how quickly the provider resolves an outage. Some SLAs promise a fix within four hours, others within eight business hours. Outside office hours, many standard packages offer no guarantee at all.
3. Helpdesk availability. For an online shop that runs 24/7, a 24/7 helpdesk is worth more than a cheaper package with support during office hours only.
4. Compensation when targets are missed. An SLA on paper only means something if it imposes a consequence on the provider when it fails. Ask explicitly about the compensation scheme.

Our no-nonsense advice: choose your SLA based on your actual business risk, not on the fine words in the sales pitch. A manufacturer that loses a few thousand euros for every hour of downtime needs a different level from a consultancy.

How long does the switch take?

Lead time is an underestimated part of the decision. If fibre is already in your building or street, the connection can be sorted within a few weeks. If digging is still needed, your premises are outside an existing fibre area, or you are on a business park without a connection, the lead time typically stretches to 4 to 12 weeks. With growing demand and busy providers, it can take even longer.

So don't plan a switch for the week your new ERP goes live. For businesses looking to modernise a larger IT infrastructure, the fibre connection is a logical first step, to be arranged a few months before the rest of the project.

Which provider suits your business?

The Netherlands has a wide choice of business internet providers. KPN, Ziggo Zakelijk, Eurofiber, Open Dutch Fiber and smaller players each offer their own mix of speed, SLA and service. What we see working in practice:

• Always compare at least two to three quotes. The spread is wide, even between comparable packages.
• Ask specifically how the SLA elements are defined. "99.9 percent" says little without context: what counts as "downtime", and what doesn't?
• Pay attention to the contract term. Saving a few tens of euros a month on a three-year contract may sound attractive, but it makes you inflexible if your business needs change.
• Ask for a backup line or failover using a second technology (for example mobile or a second provider) if you really can't afford to be offline.

For businesses running their business telephony over VoIP, that is even more important: no internet means no telephony, unless you have failover in place.

The Dutch fibre rollout is well advanced

If you still doubt whether fibre is ready: the Dutch fibre network now has more than 3.4 million active connections, and the cable market is smaller for the first time. The ambition is coverage of around 80 percent of households and businesses by 2026. In most cities and on most business parks, fibre is already in place or will be in the foreseeable future. For remote or not-yet-connected premises, a collective application through the local business association or business park can speed up the rollout.

Frequently asked questions about business fibre

Is fibre always faster than coax?

In practice almost always, especially for upload. A coax connection can reach up to 1,000 Mbit/s download, but upload remains limited to around 75 Mbit/s on current top-tier packages. Fibre delivers the same speed in both directions and stays more stable when several employees are using it at once. For cloud, VoIP and video conferencing, you notice that difference immediately during the working day.

What does business fibre cost for SMEs?

For Dutch SMEs, monthly subscription costs range roughly from €75 to €300, depending on speed, SLA and company size. One-off connection costs vary widely: free or low-cost when fibre is already in place, and higher when digging is still needed. Always ask for a detailed quote with a clear breakdown of one-off and monthly costs.

How long does it take to install business fibre?

Typically 4 to 12 weeks from the application, depending on whether the infrastructure is already in place. When fibre is already in the building or street, a connection can sometimes be ready within a few weeks. For premises outside existing fibre areas or on remote business parks, it can take longer, especially when the provider is busy. So plan the switch well before you actually need it.

What does 99.9 percent uptime in an SLA mean?

An uptime of 99.9 percent means the connection may be down for a maximum of around 8.7 hours a year, or roughly 43 minutes a month. At 99.97 percent, that drops to around 2.5 hours a year or 13 minutes a month. It sounds small, but on an annual basis the difference between 99 and 99.97 percent amounts to dozens of hours of productivity, telephony and revenue.

What if there is no fibre in my building yet?

Ask several providers for a demand and feasibility analysis. Fibre is often already in the street and only a connection to your building is needed. Sometimes it pays to involve the business association or business park collectively to get installation done faster and cheaper. In other cases, a temporary wireless or 5G connection can bridge the gap until the fibre is delivered.

Conclusion

For most Dutch SMEs, fibre is now the logical standard, especially if you do a lot of work in the cloud, use VoIP or hold video meetings regularly. The gains lie in symmetrical speed, a stable signal and an SLA that matches how dependent you are on your connection. For a small office with limited use, a good coax line remains a perfectly good option.

Not sure whether fibre is the right choice for your business, or want a second opinion on a quote you've received? Call TRON Group on +31 85 303 5869 or take a look at our internet connectivity service. We help you choose a connection that fits your real business risk, and make sure the switch goes ahead without surprises: from feasibility and SLA to delivery and integration with the rest of your IT.