UK operator Three is pitching a ‘plug and play’ 5G alternative to fixed line broadband for business customers, promising next day installation.

The ‘plug and play’ solution is called Business Broadband, straightforwardly enough, and is being offered for £14.17 per month. Download speeds in excess of 100Mbps are promised, and the router can be plugged in anywhere 5G Broadband is available.

The release specifies this solution might be of particular relevance to those looking to hook up a new short term location, but the chief sales pitch appears to be that it is flexible and engineers will pitch up the next day to set up the FWA network.

“Everyone knows that a strong reliable internet connection is absolutely vital for SMEs, but often those connections are neither convenient nor great value for money,” said Snehal Bhudia, Director of Business Propositions & Go To Market for Three UK. “At Three Business, we know things should be different. That’s why we’ve introduced a broadband connection that runs on 5G, meaning no waiting for roads to be dug up or engineers running wires through the walls, simply plug and play out of the box. All for less than the cost of fixed line alternatives with similar speeds .

“At Three, we’re in the unique position of being the only mobile network with the UK’s largest spectrum holding, which means our 5G broadband is faster than what our competitors can offer. We’re really excited at the difference our cost- effective and convenient broadband is making to businesses already.”

Earlier this month it was confirmed Three UK is merger discussions with the UK arm of Vodafone. The plan would be apparently that Vodafone would own 51% of the combined entity and, and an announcement said: ‘The relative ownership would be achieved through a differential leverage contribution at closing, and no cash consideration will be paid’ – which could be a reference to Three UK’s debt, but that has not been confirmed.

It’s competitors EE and O2 have already merged with BT and Virgin Media respectively, and this would mean three players in the UK mobile space rather than four. The case being signalled to regulators seems to be that the remaining two operators need to pool to together to stay competitive, however of course it’s not cut and dry since Vodafone and Three are both mobile operators while the other deals were between one mobile operator and one fixed line provider.

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