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XLN business broadband review

By Phil Wilkinson-Jones | Thursday, September 30th 2021

3.5/5

XLN provides broadband services exclusively to small businesses, promising world class customer service, smoother switching and to never be beaten on price.

It’s competing with a number of bigger household names in the business broadband market, so how does XLN measure up? Here we take a look at what exactly is on offer from the company founded in 2002 by CEO Christian Nellemann.

Overview

Download speed Up to 76Mbps
Broadband Standard and fibre
Business phone line Yes
ISDN line No
Contract length 18 months
Prices from £27.95 per month

Speed

XLN has an entry-level broadband package called Essential Broadband & UK Calls, offering speeds of up to 17Mbps, in line with entry-level packages from other providers.

For a few pounds more per month, you can get XLN’s fibre broadband package, Superfast Fibre Broadband & UK Calls, which promises speeds up to 76Mbps. As we said, it’s just a few pounds more than standard broadband so unless you can’t get fibre at your address, there’s no reason not to choose this option. You can use our fibre postcode checker to see whether fibre is available at your location.

In addition to the broadband service that will be used by you and your colleagues, XLN can also provide you with their public guest Wi-Fi serviceservice for a small additional monthly fee,, or for free with the Superfast Fibre Broadband package. Everyone likes to be connected so this is sure to keep your customers happy and could even encourage people to pay you a visit. XLN says 77% of consumers are more likely to visit businesses offering free Wi-Fi and that 68% are more likely to return to businesses that allow them to get online.

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Installation

It takes 10 working days to switch your existing phone line to XLN and there should be no downtime, with the new provider taking over on the tenth day as the service from your old supplier stops.

If your existing phone line can’t be transferred to XLN for any reason, the provider can install a new line for you.

XLN will also be able to move your line if you’re moving premises, as long as you give a month’s notice. Generally if you’re only moving a short distance you’ll also be able to keep the same number.

Router

A ‘Super Router’ is supplied free of charge with XLN’s fibre broadband package. The provider says it’s three times more powerful than its standard model. The wireless super router is advertised as ‘plug and play’, which means getting it up and running (and therefore getting online) is a simple process.

There’s a £9.99 charge for configuration and tracked delivery of the router, which is fairly standard across the industry.

Reliability

XLN runs on the Openreach network also used by BT, TalkTalk and many others. This means that its fibre broadband will be available to 95% of UK premises and that if you're already with one of those providers it should be easy to switch broadband suppliers.

Reliability on the Openreach network appears to have improved slightly in 2020, with a 3.4 per cent reduction in total faults, compared to 2019.

Customer service

XLN promises to answer customer calls within three rings. It is the only broadband provider – business or residential – that we know of to have made such a promise. XLN’s call centre is UK-based and apparently 90% of issues are solved on the first call.

XLN’s exclusive focus on small businesses should enable it to offer more specialised and expert advice and it claims to do exactly this via the Biz Hub section of its website, which offers tips, tools and insight. There’s also a useful help page with frequently asked questions and contact numbers.

In 2018, XLN won the prize for Customer Satisfaction at the Customer Experience Awards and was a runner-up in the categories Best Utilities and Best Contact Centre.

Conclusion

Its focus on small businesses makes XLN an attractive alternative to the likes of BT and TalkTalk and the offer of free public Wi-Fi is something that could benefit a lot of businesses that maybe hadn’t even considered it previously.

Its speeds may not be the fastest available – look at Virgin Media or a provider that can install a dedicated leased line if it’s speed you’re after – but for businesses that just need a steady connection and to know that when they call for help, someone will answer, XLN is worthy of consideration.

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