Business needs are rarely identical. When you start out, finding customers, and creating a brand image are often the main priority. However, an essential part of running a business smoothly and remaining connected with all customers, suppliers, and employees is the quality of your business connection.

With more varieties of packages, and new technologies arising every day, the selection process can become frustrating. This article is all about helping you pick the perfect plan that complements your business’s needs, size, and budget.

Things to Consider

Before making the final decision, it’s important to understand some internet factors that can influence your business. Some of these are explained below.

Bandwidth 

Bandwidth is the size of data you can download and upload at each given second. These can influence how quickly the pages you browse load, how smooth your audio and video calls are, and how quickly you can upload marketing content.

Typical bandwidth speeds include 25-50 Mbps, the standard of most basic cable internet connections. These can go up to 1 Gbps, a common speed present with Fiber Internet connections.

Scalability

Internet scalability is about how smoothly and cost-efficiently your business can upgrade to a faster speed and less restricted monthly volume.

A common factor that influences scalability is the Data Cap. It is the amount of allowed data you can use every month for a given plan. What happens when you exceed this limit can make a lot of difference when sudden connectivity needs arise. Some internet service providers simply stop the supply once you reach this limit.

Other providers incur you extra charges but don’t stop your internet from working. Depending on your business situation, selecting the right type of scalability can help you avoid sudden charges or a completely halted connection.

Uptime 

Uptime is an often-overlooked factor when selecting an internet service provider. While your internet service provider may boast all types of perks, including 1 Gbps download speed and unlimited volume, your business may never actually reap its benefits.

Uptime is how well the internet actually works at all times. A 99 percent uptime means that your internet will never be disrupted for more than 1 percent of the time each month.

The uptime a company boats on their website and the actual uptime that customers experience can also vary. For this reason, it’s best to consider independent reviews as well.

Throttling

Throttling is a covert process most internet service providers use to prevent spikes of excessive data usage by just one user. This can be a huge limiting factor for businesses that have multiple employees using the internet.

If your Internet service provider establishes a data throttle, your internet speed will decrease when using data-heavy sites. Not all internet connections are capable of doing this.

For example, Fiber and DSL internet connections usually come with unrestricted bandwidth no matter how much your business uses.

Tiered Plan 

Every internet service provider will divide different internet speeds, bandwidth, and monthly limits into different plans. While it may seem like a good thing in the early stages of your business, an internet provider with too many tiers can actually be harmful to your business.

When plans are divided too narrowly, you will be forced to upgrade to a more expensive plan each time your business needs grow. Fortunately, not all internet connections come in this form. Some are purposefully designed to enable flexible upscaling and downscaling when needed. This is a common feature of Fiber Internet where you can increase or decrease your daily bandwidth size and limits and only be charged for what you actually use.

Popular Connection Choices Available to Businesses

 

Fiber Internet

Fiber Internet is the most advanced and powerful internet connection currently available. It packs a fast download speed, unrestricted bandwidth, and a reliable connection that remains undisrupted even under the worst weather conditions.

It is not dependent on distance to deliver fast speed compared to other internet connections. Most small and Medium scale businesses use the service for its ability to deliver consistent speed throughout their premises.

Fiber internet does not share across a wide pool of customers and delivers a dedicated connection to each user. This allows businesses to utilize the full potential of their internet without facing any downtimes because of external spikes in usage.

You should choose a Fiber Internet Connection if your business:

• involves multiple data-heavy activities throughout the day.
• is highly dependent on uploading and downloading visual and video content.
• has multiple employees using the internet for sizable tools and software.
• is dependent on quick customer service and complaint resolutions.
• engages in video conferences with clients and suppliers frequently.
• Has inconsistent and unpredictable internet scalability demands.

 

DSL Internet

DSL internet is delivered through your telephone line and can only reach up to 100 Mbps of speed. Its speed and reliability are highly dependent on the distance of your Internet Provider’s location and may not be a great choice for rural areas. It is more suitable for businesses that don’t require a lot of data-heavy tasks such as uploading or downloading content.

If your business needs are limited to audio calls, emails, and simple documents, DSL internet can be a great cost-efficient choice. It is cheaper than most Fiber and Cable Connections and can be bundled with the telephone service to gain further discounts. It will also perform nicely with most browsing, researching, and downloading activities as long as they are not too heavy. You should choose a DSL Internet Connection if your business:

• communicates mainly through calls, offline meetings, and emails.
• does not need to upload marketing content too frequently or in-house.
• does not have substantial data storage and backup needs.
• is not reliant on data-heavy software for resource planning, accounting, and project management.
• Has a small budget and low chances of sudden scalability needs.

Cable Internet

Cable Internet is the best choice for businesses looking for just the right balance of performance and cost-efficiency. While it does not match the speed of Fiber Internet, it can deliver up to 1 Gbps of speed at the best plans.

However, it comes with a lot of hidden disadvantages. The connection uses internet sharing, which means the same Internet resources are shared among a wide pool of customers.

If multiple customers use the internet for data-intensive activities such as streaming, downloading, and gaming, your internet speed also gets affected. You should choose a Cable Internet Connection if your business:

• is dependent on sizable but not too data-intensive browsing, downloading, and marketing activities.
• has a limited budget but high internet speed and bandwidth needs.
• prioritizes high monthly allowance and faster speed over reliability and uptime.
• Can afford sudden downtime due to bad weather or peak hours.