The days of businesses not relying on internet services to get work done are long behind us. No matter what field your business is engaged in, you need to have a great internet connection. It needs to be fast, it needs to be reliable, and it needs to fit your budget.
Often, getting all three of these factors to line up is a herculean feat. However, today we’re going to help you narrow it down by pointing out some of the biggest factors that make a business internet plan attractive to a business like yours.
Types of Internet Available
There are a number of different types of internet. If you’re not familiar with anything other than “broadband” and “dial-up,” this section is for you. There are a number of different types of internet available, and they each offer various strengths and weaknesses. Most well-known among modern internet connections is likely DSL, once called just “broadband.” DSL stands for digital subscriber line, and it’s the middle-ground on speed and price. It’s completely fine, nothing to write home about.
Another older, but still popular, solution is cable internet. This is an internet form that literally uses coaxial television cables to send the data to your computer. Introduced in the 90’s, this internet solution is still pretty fast, offering speeds of up to 100 Mbps. The only issues with cable internet are that coaxial cables aren’t nearly as plentiful now as they were in 1998, and it remains relatively expensive. Oh, and it slows down when your neighbors get on the internet.
Less Common Internet Providers
If you want a faster connection via for your internet, you’re not getting DSL or cable. You’ve got a much faster option available, thankfully. Fiber internet uses fiber optic cables to deliver information as pulses of light, offering the fastest internet speeds currently available. In fact, fiber optic cables are the oldest option for sending internet data: they were how the basis of the internet was formed. However, they’re expensive, and they have a decidedly shorter reach than other forms of internet.
Another uncommon internet service is via satellite. Satellite is great for businesses in remote regions that might not have internet wiring readily available. To be fair, satellite internet is rarely as fast as DSL, though it’s typically the only option for remotely located businesses. As such, if it’s all you can get, it’ll get the job done.
Also, dial-up internet technically still exists. Yes, we’re serious. Yes, it’s incredibly slow, and it’s dirt-cheap. You probably do not want dial-up internet in your place of businesses unless you have almost nothing to do with the internet.
Consider Your Needs
Do you need the absolute fastest internet speeds available? Well, that depends on what your business does, and how big it is. Just because you have a big budget for internet doesn’t mean you need to break the bank on the best internet service available. On average, if you’re operating a smaller business with five or so employees, an internet speed of 30 Mbps or so should do the trick.
Meanwhile, if you’re operating with seven to twenty employees, you’re probably going to want an internet speed exceeding 60 Mbps. As such, it follows that with more than twenty employees, you’re going to want 100 Mbps or more, and when you’re getting above that, you’re likely operating a medium-sized business of fifty or more employees.
Other Considerations
Make sure you know what the average yearly downtime for a given ISP is before you sign up with them. Likewise, check what their customer service scores are like. Are other customers satisfied with their internet, and with their customer support? Ask about any data caps, how long the contract is for, and any other spooky fine print that you might want to steer clear of.