Who supplies my business phone line?

Why do you need to know who supplies your business phone line?

As with business energy and business broadband, it’s important to make sure you’re on the best business phone line package to get the level of service you need at the right price.

If you’ve just moved in to a new business premises, it is important to make sure your phone and broadband are properly set up. Losing contact with your customers and clients is bad for business, so you need to find out who supplies your business phone line as quickly as possible to make sure you don’t lose that connectivity.

How to find out who supplies your business phone line

There are a few ways to find out who supplies your business phone line, some of which are more obvious than others.

Ask your landlord or estate agent

Arguably the simplest way to find out who supplier your business phone line is to ask your landlord, letting agent or estate agent for the details about the utilities at your new premises. This should include the name and details of the phone and broadband provider. While you’re at it, it’s also worth finding out who supplies your business gas and electricity. 

Dial 150 to find your phone line provider

Try to find the phone socket at your new business premises, and if it has a BT logo, it’s likely that your provider is also BT. In any case, you might be able to find out who the provider is by plugging a phone into the socket and dialling 150. This should put you through to the customer services department of the relevant provider. 

Dialling 17070 should put you through to BT’s line test facility instead, and you may have your allocated phone number read back to you. If you know your phone number, you might be able to use the Network Look-Up form on the AQL website to find the network operator for your line.

Install a new phone line

If you can’t hear a dial tone, the line might have been disconnected. If you hear a dial tone but the call doesn’t get through, the line might have a block on incoming and outgoing calls. In either case, you’ll need to call the provider of your choice and ask them to install a phone line at your business. 

There may be a charge for installation (£110-£125 depending on the provider), although some providers may provide free installation if you purchase a phone and broadband deal with them. But bear in mind that signing up to a long-term deal could mean you end up paying more overall, so make sure to take this into account before committing to a deal on the basis of a free installation. 

How to switch to a new business phone provider

If you still can’t find out who your business phone supplier is, it might still be possible to simply switch to a new provider. 

If the wiring and sockets at your new premises are undamaged, switching to a new provider is likely to be free of charge as they won’t have to replace the line.

In order to switch, it's important to compare line rental prices, as well as phone and broadband packages, from different providers. You should also take into account each supplier’s customer reviews, to help make sure you’ll get the level of service you need.

If you need a new landline number, you’ll need to contact your current provider to cancel the supply, then contact your new provider to arrange a new service. If a new line needs to be installed at your premises, you may need to pay the cost of installation. 

If you choose to install more lines at your new premises, you might be charged for each line.

The simplest way to find the best business phone line supplier is to speak to the tech-enabled experts at Bionic. We work with trusted suppliers to combine great rates with outstanding service. Just give us your postcode or call us to get in touch.

If you or any of your employees use a mobile or smartphone for work purposes, it's also worth checking out which business SIM-only deals are available.

How do you check if an address has a phone line?

If you type in a business name on a search engine like Google, usually their number and contact details will come up if they have a number registered. However, there are other ways you can check if an address has a phone line. One of these ways is by visiting the gov.uk website, you can get information about any registered company, including their address, contact info and date they were set up,

What companies use landlines?

Any company can have a business landline if they want to. It just depends on preference. Some companies prefer to use mobile systems as they can be more versatile. However, a lot of businesses like having a landline as it can tie them to a location and create a sense of trust and reliability with their customers. 

Is it worth switching to business VoIP?

Bionic businesses utilise the latest technology to help stay ahead of the competition. If you're looking to switch business phone provider, it's probably worth upgrading your phone system to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

Although it might sound complicated, VoIP is simply a phone system that makes calls via an internet connection instead of using a traditional phone line. This will soon become an essential piece of kit for all business owners, as  the standard copper phone lines and ISDN lines used now are to be phased out by 2025. This means all users will be switched from the old analogue public switched telephone network (PSTN) to a fully digital network. 

But there's more to VoIP than simply future-proofing your phone system, you'll also get the following benefits:

• A quicker and more adaptable phone service 
• Cheaper call costs and no need to pay line rental at multiple sites
• A flexible and adaptable system that allows you to make calls from anywhere 
• Get conference calls, customer insights, call logging, and a virtual receptionist included in your package
• Make and receive VoIP calls in crystal clear HD quality sound

To discuss your options and compare landline, broadband and VoIP, get in touch with our business connectivity team today.