EFM

EFM is a faster, reliable Ethernet-based broadband for businesses in Sussex and Surrey. Providing symmetrical upload and download speeds compared to ADSL2+ and FTTC.

What is EFM?

Ethernet First Mile (EFM) is a lower-cost solution to accessing an ethernet based connection without the higher costs typically associated with ethernet. This makes the service an accessible form of a higher grade of connectivity for small businesses.

EFM provides symmetrical bandwidth at speeds of up to 20 Mbps with no contention.  The term symmetrical, means the upstream and downstream speeds are the same and uncontended means the bandwidth is not shared, so does not slow down at peak times in the day unlike ADSL2+ or FTTC broadband.

With the symmetrical speeds available, it means EFM is a good choice for businesses seeking a reliable option for VPN and VoIP services and will bring several benefits to small businesses using cloud-based applications or services.

How fast is an EFM circuit?

EFM (Ethernet First Mile) is a resilient service which means it has the reliability that a small business requires and importantly backed up with an SLA guarantee, making it suitable for day to day business applications.

EFM is available to over 80% of business in the UK, as with any type of broadband service we will need to carry out an initial postcode check to determine the availability in your local area.

Is EFM a reliable form of internet access?

Absolutely. EFM achieves its reliability by consolidating up to four copper pairs into a single resilient connection. If one of the pairs fail, the connection will continue to function but with lower speeds making it fault tolerant.

Thanks to having identical upload and download speeds (up to 10 or 20 Mbps), EFM can support VoIP telephony and cloud-based services.

Is EFM the same as ADSL2+ broadband?

No that isn’t the case. EFM is presented at the premises as an Ethernet connection which means the service can access WAN port of the customers Firewall or Router with a standard Ethernet cable.

ADSL2+ broadband has an upper download speed of up to 20Mb and an upload speed of up to 8Mb whereas an EFM circuit is providing a symmetrical upload and download speed. As highlighted above, an EFM circuit is uncontended whereas ADSL2+ and FTTC are contended, meaning they can be impacted by activity in the local area.

How much will EFM cost each month?

Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) is an affordable way to achieve a better and guaranteed symmetrical bandwidth than is available using broadband, whilst maintaining an Ethernet handover interface.

Pricing will depend on your locality to the telephone exchange and availability of services in your local area.

Please contact us so we can discuss your requirements in further detail.

How does EFM work?

The service is delivered using multiple standard copper telephone lines either in a bundle of two or four lines to build a single service. The technology used is SDSL rather and ADSL to provide a symmetric service.

A two pair may run up to 10Mb and a four pair may run up to 20Mb depending on the length of the copper. An on-site box then ‘bonds’ these multiple SDSL services into a single Ethernet service making it better for business customers. The box will handle line failures to maintain up-time should one of the copper lines fail but it will cause lower speeds until full service has resumed.

EFM can typically be installed in 45 days, which is around half the time for a fibre leased line installation.

We use several Cloud based services, will EFM work well for our business?

100%, the symmetrical speeds provide a level of guarantee to ensure that business operations will run smoothly on an EFM circuit.

Ethernet First Mile is a great choice for both cloud-ready internet connectivity and private network internet services. Businesses will often choose EFM for its faster transfer of large data files as well as running simultaneous applications like SIP, video conferencing and real-time business applications such as the CRM and accountancy software like Quickbooks and Xero.

What happens if our EFM circuit develops a fault?

Whilst the technology is reliable and resilient, faults can occur from time to time and it is important for every business to know that fix times in place for every broadband service. With regards to an EFM circuit, the Service Level Agreement from the network provider is typically a fix time of 7 hours.

To prove further about the reliability there is 99.995% network reliability.

Our Technical Support team are on hand to answer any queries you have at any time or if you experience a loss of speed. Call us on 01403 620600 then select Option 1.

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