Jargon Buster
Worried about switching?
Switching to IDS is easy; as soon as we've received your order it will take around 15 days for us to transfer your service. We'll look after everything for you, including contacting your old supplier, so you won't need to do a thing.
We will confirm the day of your switchover to IDS, and on that day you may experience a short period of downtime on your line which is perfectly normal. For making calls this could be up to 20 minutes. For using broadband this could be up to 4 hours.
Any Questions?
How long will it take?
After choosing your IDS Office Broadband package you can expect to 'go live' and be using broadband and phone in about 2-3 weeks.
Will there be any 'downtime' when I join IDS?
You should experience little or no downtime during the switchover. We will keep you up to date with the latest progress and let you know when you're going to be offline, this shouldn't be more than a couple of hours on the day of the switchover.
What happens if I currently have broadband with a cable provider?
We can only provide broadband to customers who have a non-cable landline and number. If you currently have broadband with a cable provider, then you can have a new line installed by a BT engineer through IDS.
Will my line rental switch to IDS?
We have call plans that enable you to either switch your line rental to IDS or keep it with BT. We charge the same as BT for line rental, and you'll only get one bill each month. Once your line is active with IDS, we will bill you for both your line rental and calls. BT will then send you a credit for any unused line rental you've already paid for. We will take responsibility for your line - although we still use experienced BT engineers for any faults. Remember that you must take IDS line rental to take advantage our high-speed broadband. To find out more about our call plans that don't include line rental, see: Business Calls Only
Why can't IDS provide IDS Office Broadband everywhere?
We can offer high speed broadband because we have taken control of the actual telephone lines and equipment from BT. This has not been possible everywhere. In places where BT retains control of the line, we can provide IDS Business Caller & Broadband instead. In a very small number of places the telephone lines are unsuitable for broadband of any kind and you may need to use a mobile broadband solution.
Can I get broadband in my area?
A very high percentage of businesses can get broadband. However if your BT telephone exchange can't provide it, or if you live too far away from your exchange, you may be one of the few people who can't get it. Our IDS Office can discuss the options available to.
What happens if I am still in contract with another provider?
You will probably be charged a cancellation fee by your current provider for leaving your contract. You might decide to leave regardless, as the cost of this fee will be quickly offset by the savings on our broadband. Please consult the terms and conditions of your contract when leaving your current provider. Alternatively, you can decide to stay with your current provider and remain in the IDS broadband queue. Before the end of your contract, just contact us and give us your MAC code details and you will go live with IDS Office Broadband within weeks. Please bear in mind that we will contact you a few times by letter, email and phone to get your MAC code on time so that your broadband go-live date is not delayed. If you have decided to stay with your current provider and stay in the IDS Broadband queue, then please ignore these communications.
I'm currently with another broadband provider, can I move to IDS?
Most businesses with an existing broadband connection can transfer their service over to IDS. Select the product you would like on this website, and then enter your telephone number and postcode into the Availability Checker to confirm if you can get IDS broadband.
I have an alarm system that uses my phone line. Can I join IDS?
Most alarm systems are compatible with the IDS network. To check if IDS broadband will work on your line, please select the product you would like on this website, and then enter your telephone number and postcode into the Availability Checker. This will confirm if you can have IDS broadband on your line, and also what packages are available to you.
I have Featureline on my line, can I join IDS?
In most cases you can switch to IDS. As the provisioning process is a little more complicated and may take a little longer, we would ask you to call our sales team on the number at the top of this page.
What do I need to join IDS?
To check if you can get IDS broadband, please select the product you would like on this website, and then enter your telephone number and postcode into the Availability Checker. This will confirm if you can have IDS broadband on your line, and also what packages are available to you. If you decide to order IDS broadband, you'll also need your bank or building society account number and sort code to set up your Direct Debit.