Understanding Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for Business Internet

There are numerous acronyms to understand when choosing your business broadband, one of the main ones being SLA. This guide explains what it is and why it might be important for your business.

service level agreements.

What's on this page

What is an SLA?

SLA's explained

Comparing business SLA's

Does a Service Level Agreement matter?

What is an SLA?

A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a formal agreement between a business customer and its internet service provider (ISP). For example, your broadband provider will issue an SLA agreement that defines the expected level of service, including uptime (usually 99.9%), performance speeds, and how issues will be fixed if the provider fails to meet the agreement.

The inclusion of an SLA is one of the main selling points of business broadband, as a connection can be critical for operations, and it ensures guarantees.

Why SLAs Are Crucial for Business Internet

We’ve all experienced downtime with our home broadband, and it can be an inconvenience. This is one of the leading reasons business internet plans are preferred, often accompanied by SLA agreements, as an outage can result in loss of revenue, reduced productivity, and the potential to disappoint customers.

SLA's Explained

Uptime guarantee is displayed as a percentage, but there can be confusion around what it means. As the numbers are so close to each other, the difference may seem minor.

99% uptime = up to 3 days/ 15 hours of downtime per year.
99.9% uptime = up to 8 hours/ 45 minutes of downtime per year.
99.99% uptime = up to 52 minutes of downtime per year.
99.999% uptime = about 5 minutes of downtime per year.

Businesses that rely on a connection to function should look at providers with at least 99.9% downtime per year. Mission-critical applications will fail during downtime, and may lead to loss of revenue.

Why You Might Want A Strong SLA

Reliability: Provides reassurance that your internet connection is consistent.
Accountability: Holds the provider responsible if the connection performance falls short of the agreement.
Risk Management: Reduced the chances of downtime, which helps mitigate financial loss in the event of an outage.
Transparency: You understand the exact service you’re getting before any contracts are signed.
Competitive Advantage: Always be where your customers need you with an online service that delivers.

glowy help. call our broadband experts 01613 022466

Get a great SLA

Comparing Business SLAs

Business Broadband	Best Effort	99-99.5%	1-2 business days	Small businesses with light internet requirements
Business Fibre Broadband	Stronger SLA	99.9%	8-12 hours	Small & medium businesses that would like more stability
Dedicated Leased Line	Great SLA	99.9 - 99.99%	4 hours or less	Any business that would lose money if the connection remained down

Does A Service Level Agreement Matter

Choosing your provider and broadband will directly impact the quality of your SLA. For some, a basic connection will be sufficient if the business can get by for a couple of days without a connection (in the worst case).

However, businesses more reliant on their connection, such as financial companies, hospitality and call centres, may want to consider investing in a leased line. Each business is different and will make a choice best suited to their requirements.

Service Level Agreement FAQs

What is a Service Level Agreement (SLA) in business broadband?

A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a formal contract between your business and your internet service provider (ISP) that sets out the minimum standard of service you can expect. It typically covers uptime guarantees, connection speeds, and the maximum time the provider has to resolve an issue if the service falls below the agreed standard.
What does 99.9% uptime actually mean for my business?

A 99.9% uptime guarantee means your connection could be down for up to 8 hours and 45 minutes per year.

By contrast, 99% uptime allows for up to 3 days and 15 hours of downtime annually, a significant difference if your operations depend on being online.

For mission-critical businesses, 99.99% uptime reduces potential downtime to around 52 minutes per year.
Is an SLA included with all business broadband packages?

Not always. Standard business broadband packages often operate on a "best effort" basis, meaning they aim for good performance but offer no contractual guarantee.

Stronger SLAs, with guaranteed uptime and rapid fix times, are more commonly found on business fibre broadband or dedicated leased lines. It's worth checking the specific terms before signing.

Find out if business broadband or a leased line is right for your business.
What is a fix time?

The fix time is the maximum period your provider is contractually obligated to restore your service after a fault is reported.

Standard business broadband typically allows 1–2 business days, while leased lines often come with a 4-hour fix time.

For businesses that can't afford extended outages, such as call centres, retailers, or hospitality operators, a shorter fix time can make a real financial difference.
What happens if my provider breaches the SLA?

If your provider fails to meet the terms of the SLA, you may be entitled to service credits, bill reductions, or, in some cases, early exit from your contract without penalty.

The exact remedies depend on the terms set out in your agreement, so it's important to read and understand these before committing to a package.
Do I need a leased line to get a strong SLA?

Not necessarily. Business fibre broadband can offer a solid SLA with 99.9% uptime and fix times of 8–12 hours, which is sufficient for many small to medium-sized businesses.

Leased lines provide the strongest guarantees, including 99.99% uptime and sub-4-hour fix times, and are best suited to businesses where any downtime directly translates to lost revenue.
How do I choose the right SLA level for my business?

Start by asking how long your business could operate without internet access. If a couple of days offline wouldn't cause serious disruption, a standard business broadband package may be sufficient.

If your business relies on a live connection for trading, communications, or customer service, it's worth investing in a higher-tier SLA, either through a business fibre package or a dedicated leased line.