When you buy a business connection, the SLA - the Service Level Agreement - is where the real value (or the catch) lives. It is the contract that defines what the provider promises and what happens when they fall short. As a CFO, this is the document I read most carefully, and here is what to look for.
What an SLA covers
A good connectivity SLA spells out four things:
- Uptime guarantee - the percentage of time the connection is promised to be available.
- Fix time / time to repair - how quickly faults will be resolved.
- Support response - how fast you'll get a human when you report a problem.
- Service credits - what compensation you receive if they miss their targets.
Decoding uptime percentages
Uptime sounds reassuring until you translate it into real downtime:
| Uptime guarantee | Approx. downtime per year |
|---|---|
| 99% | ~3.65 days |
| 99.9% | ~8.8 hours |
| 99.99% | ~52 minutes |
That difference matters. Consumer broadband often has effectively no meaningful uptime guarantee, while a leased line typically guarantees 99.9% or better with rapid fix times.
Fix times are the part people forget
An uptime percentage is only half the story. What happens when something does break? On consumer-grade services, a fault can take several days to resolve. A business SLA commits the provider to a fast fix - often a matter of hours - which can be the difference between a minor blip and a lost day of trading.
This is also why failover is so valuable: it keeps you running while the SLA clock ticks on the primary line.
The small print to check
- What counts as downtime? Planned maintenance is often excluded.
- How are service credits claimed? Sometimes you have to request them.
- Are credits capped? They usually are - and they rarely cover your real losses, which is why prevention beats compensation.
Match the SLA to the risk
Not every connection needs a gold-plated SLA. A small office can live with standard business broadband terms. But if downtime genuinely stops you trading, pay for the stronger guarantee - and budget for it properly using our cost guide.
We'll explain the small print
Our Connectivity service gives you connections backed by SLAs that match how critical uptime is to your business - and we'll translate the jargon honestly. Request a callback to review your options.
Frequently asked questions
What is a connectivity SLA?
A Service Level Agreement defines the guaranteed uptime, fix times, support response and any compensation for your business internet connection.
What uptime guarantee should I look for?
Leased lines typically guarantee 99.9% or better with rapid fix times, while consumer broadband offers little meaningful guarantee. Match the SLA to how critical uptime is for you.
What are service credits?
Service credits are compensation you receive if the provider misses its SLA targets. They are usually capped, so prevention and failover matter more than the payout.
