Question 1

What 4G/5G speeds can I expect on failover?

Accepted Answer

Most UK business addresses hit 50-200 Mbps on 4G, 100-500 Mbps on 5G. Enough to keep VoIP, card machines, and basic cloud apps running normally. Heavy streaming and big uploads slow down — that's a feature, not a bug.

Question 2

Will calls drop during the switchover?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes a brief blip (1-5 seconds) on the actual moment of switching. The router holds existing TCP connections where possible. Most users don't notice.

Question 3

Do I need a SIM contract separately?

Accepted Answer

No — we include the multi-network SIM in the failover package. One bill, one provider. We work with wholesale rates so the SIM is more cost-effective than a retail BT/EE business plan, and you don't need a separate contract.

Question 4

What if 4G coverage is poor at my premises?

Accepted Answer

We check signal during the survey. If 4G is weak, we can fit external 4G antennae for better signal, or use the 5G band where available. We don't sell failover where it can't physically work.

Question 5

Can I use failover without your broadband?

Accepted Answer

Yes — we can install failover alongside any existing broadband (BT, Virgin, TalkTalk, etc.). Most affordable to bundle with our broadband but not required.

Question 6

How long should I expect my main broadband to be down before failover takes over?

Accepted Answer

Automatic — the router detects loss within 10-30 seconds and switches. No manual intervention.

Question 7

Is there a data cap on the 4G/5G plan?

Accepted Answer

Standard plan: 100GB/month — plenty for a normal failover scenario (one or two outages monthly). Heavy-use plans up to unlimited available.

Question 8

What is failover internet?

Accepted Answer

Failover internet is a business continuity solution that automatically switches your network onto a backup internet connection when your primary broadband or leased line fails. This prevents downtime affecting VoIP phones, cloud software, EPOS systems, CCTV and payment terminals. It's the difference between a 30-second blip and a 3-hour outage.

Question 9

Is 4G or 5G better for business failover?

Accepted Answer

Depends on coverage. 4G has wider UK coverage and is the practical choice for most industrial estates, rural sites and smaller towns. 5G delivers significantly higher speeds where coverage exists and is the right choice for bandwidth-heavy environments. We check signal strength at your postcode before specifying — sometimes both 4G and 5G as a dual-SIM solution.

Question 10

What is SD-WAN and do I need it?

Accepted Answer

SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) intelligently routes traffic across multiple connectivity paths — fibre, leased lines, Starlink, 4G/5G — based on real-time performance. For single-site small businesses, a dual-WAN router is usually enough. For multi-site organisations or businesses with mission-critical uptime needs, SD-WAN provides centralised intelligent routing across the entire WAN.

Question 11

Can failover work alongside my leased line?

Accepted Answer

Yes — leased lines should always include failover. Even a 99.99% SLA leased line goes down occasionally (carrier faults, civil engineering damage). 4G/5G failover preserves business operation through these events. We deploy leased-line + 4G/5G failover combinations as standard for businesses where uptime matters.

Question 12

Do you test failover before something breaks?

Accepted Answer

Yes — and this matters more than people realise. Many businesses technically have backup connectivity but discover during an actual outage that it was never configured properly or tested under real load. Telexico performs scheduled failover testing quarterly so the backup path actually works when needed, not just in theory.

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