Aquiss cuts prices on Netomnia business full fibre packages

Shropshire-based ISP Aquiss has cut prices across its business full fibre packages on Netomnia’s UK network, including a sharp reduction on its fastest tier from £120 to £80 a month ex VAT.

The changes apply to Aquiss' business FTTP services delivered over Netomnia’s infrastructure, which the provider says is available to more than 125,000 business premises nationwide and supports speeds of up to 7Gbps average.

New pricing across the range

Aquiss' revised Netomnia business packages now start at £30 per month ex VAT for a 75Mbps symmetric service.

The full line-up is listed as:

• 75Mbps for £30 per month
• 150Mbps for £32 per month
• 300Mbps for £34 per month
• 500Mbps for £36 per month
• 900Mbps for £40 per month
• 1.8Gbps for £45 per month
• 7Gbps for £80 per month

All prices are shown excluding VAT.

The largest reduction is on the top-end package, where the monthly charge has fallen by £40, from £120 to £80.

What is included

According to Aquiss' package details, all of the Netomnia-based business services include symmetric upload and download speeds, unlimited monthly usage, a 12-month minimum contract, static IPv4 and static IPv6 addresses, and Enhanced Care.

Aquiss says Enhanced Care is aimed at fault resolution within 20 clock hours from a reported fault, excluding any allowable parked time.

The provider also says the packages come with no in-contract price rises and no annual CPI increases.

There is a £100 activation or installation charge on the range, although Aquiss' 7Gbps package is listed in one report as having free installation. Customers also need to supply their own router. Aquiss says compatible hardware must have a WAN port and support a PPPoE connection, adding that routers supplied free by other providers are often locked and are unlikely to work.

Installation and contract terms

Aquiss says installation times depend on whether the premises already have the right infrastructure in place.

If a property has previously been fitted, the ISP says service could be live within two working days. Where extra cabling or other infrastructure is needed, lead times of around 14 working days can be expected, and sometimes longer.

Once the minimum term ends, Aquiss says customers move onto a rolling monthly contract at the same monthly price they had been paying. The service does not include a telephone line or line rental.

The ISP also offers an optional routed /29 block in addition to the included static IP for £8.33 per month ex VAT.

If a customer ends service, Aquiss says there is a £45 broadband cease fee. Customers leaving while still within the minimum term must also settle any remaining contracted months in full.

Netomnia wholesale access

Aquiss' business packages are part of Netomnia's wholesale full fibre platform. Netomnia builds and runs the fibre network, while broadband providers sell services over it.

Netomnia has been described as an open-access wholesale FTTP network using XGS-PON technology, with providers including its sister retail brand YouFibre as well as other ISPs such as Aquiss.

In comments published alongside the pricing change, it was noted that Netomnia launched wholesale plans last year, but only for business packages.

Aquiss describes the offer as bringing its business full fibre services to more than 125,000 businesses across the UK via "another full fibre network".

Package structure mirrors Aquiss' Netomnia range

Aquiss markets the services under product names tied to each speed tier, from Netomnia 80 through to Netomnia 8000. Each package is presented as using XGS-PON technology and carrying the same core business features across the range.

That means the main variables for customers are speed and monthly price, rather than differences in usage limits, IP addressing or support level.

The revised pricing puts Aquiss' top multi-gigabit tier much closer to the rest of the range than before, while leaving the lower tiers clustered between £30 and £45 per month ex VAT.