Business internet service: everything you need to know

It would not be an exaggeration to call the internet the backbone of most businesses today. In the absence of fast and reliable internet service, business operations, customer relations, and revenue production can easily come to a standstill. According to a 2012 study, 60% of businesses lost access to their IT systems following unfortunate incidents. Such loss of access can translate to a loss in billions of dollars for any established business. As such, having the right business internet service facilitating the workings of any organization has become more crucial now than ever before.

Types of Business Internet Connections

Reliable and fast data connectivity can attract profits and credibility for any business. So, it’s important to make an informed decision in order to choose the type of business internet connection that suits a business’s needs. Depending on the speed and bandwidth needs, reliability, technological requirements, and the budget, a business can choose among different internet connections. These connections can either be shared networks or dedicated networks.

• Shared Networks

  In the case of shared networks, the bandwidth of a common network is shared by users of a locality. It is probably the most easily accessible and inexpensive of all the business internet connections. Consequently, these are typically used by businesses on the smaller side since critical operations like cloud application and services, VoIP, and video conferencing tend to get negatively affected by the asymmetrical speeds and contended networks. Organizations can choose the best business broadband service for them from the following common business internet connections with a shared network:

  • DSL or Digital Subscriber Line: Digital Subscriber Line uses telephone lines in order to provide an internet connection. As a business internet service, it is on the cheaper side of the spectrum. However, it tends not to be reliable as it is subject to multiple outages. The distance between users and the telephone line negatively impacts the speeds of this internet connection. DSL connections are also known as Ethernet over Copper.
  • Cable: Cables, rather the coaxial cables which are used for television, are also used to make up a shared internet network. These connections tend to be faster than the DSL. However, because the network is shared by multiple users and businesses in a locality, the speed is prone to fluctuating during peak hours.
    

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  • Shared Fibre: Optical fiber is fast emerging as one of the best options in shared networks. They provide extreme speeds that can go up to 1 Gbps. Moreover, the download and upload speeds are almost symmetrical, making it easier for businesses to carry out critical operations like uploading large files, and multimedia communications much more smoothly. Fiber connections are much more secure and reliable. A business fiber broadband connection can be more expensive than other alternatives but it ultimately lowers infrastructure costs, thus, making getting a fiber connection more than worth the cost of setting up.

• Dedicated Networks

  Apart from shared networks, businesses can also opt for a dedicated network as a business internet service. A dedicated network, such as a business leased line broadband, offers private networks from an ISP to a business premise. This connection is not accessible to any other local third-party user. Dedicated networks, thus, have uncontended bandwidth, symmetrical speeds, better security, and optimum reliability. They also come with Service Level Agreements or SLAs that guarantee the best performance and offer prompt service in the event of any failure.

  Dedicated networks are mostly used by big businesses and organizations that have the need for higher Quality of Service, critical operations, and cloud-based applications. A dedicated broadband line is available in three options like fiber (Ethernet over fiber), copper (Ethernet over Copper), and fixed wireless.

Opting for a business internet service - What should you keep in mind?

Any business should consider its speed and servicing requirements before buying a business internet service so as to access the optimal service at the best price.

Every business has different speed requirements based on its operations, services, and the number of employees. While small businesses can function smoothly with a shared network, big corporations with remote branches, with their increased dependence on collaboration and the Internet of Things (IoT), require a dedicated broadband line with higher speeds.

Get the best business internet service for your business

Before opting for a service, businesses should ideally collect the varying quotes by different ISPs in their locality. They should also enquire about the bundle services like phone, VoIP, and TV provided in a price range, the contract length, the average downtime, etc. Only then should they go ahead and opt for a service whose speed, reliability, and consistency suit their business needs the most. Internet service providers, like ACT Enterprise, that make use of fiber optic cables and offer a varied range of custom plans are effectively the business internet service for small and big businesses to opt for considering their symmetrical upload and download speeds, uncontended bandwidth, speed, security, and overall consistency.