Choosing a Small Business Internet Provider is no easy task. Internet is essential to businesses around the world. Without a stable internet connection, your business productivity is near to nothing, you can’t connect with customers or collaborate for growth and expansion. Regardless of what your business is about, fast and reliable internet service is the basic need of every business.
It’s important for enhanced communication and engagement, improved work efficiency, increased productivity, and real-time collaboration.
And trusting a business internet provider that won’t let you down isn’t easy. But with a ton of options available in today’s time, you can narrow it down to the one that meets your business needs best. Before you go internet shopping, you must understand there are a ton of factors you should consider.
We’ve listed down the most important factors to keep in mind when picking a small business internet provider. Keep reading!
Type of Internet
The business internet provider you’re interested in should offer a variety of internet connections to satisfy your business needs. There are a ton of options to choose from today – the most common ones are:
Cable
Cable connections use coaxial cables to deliver high-speed internet. It’s a popular choice amongst businesses residing in locations with distribution lines. It’s widely accessible and affordable for small businesses.
Digital subscriber line (DSL)
This connection is typically offered by telecommunication companies. However, the connections are limited because DSL uses phone lines to deliver internet speeds that are slower than other available options nowadays.
Satellite
Satellite connections use satellites to deliver internet signals to the receiver satellite dish installed on the customer’s roof. However, while satellite internet is widely available, it is generally more expensive and slower than other available options. It works best for businesses in rural areas.
Fiber-optic
Fiber optic technology uses light pulses to transmit the fastest internet speeds across devices. These speeds are fast and reliable enough to support digital tools and cloud applications, enable customer and business communication, and heavy-weight business operations. This is the fastest and most reliable option from the list, offering up to 1Gbps of speed. However, the downside of fiber optic technology is its lack of availability and limited access to fiber-optic equipment.
Fixed Wireless Internet
One of the most common wireless solutions is fixed wireless internet access. This type of connection is available with 5G and LTE speeds. Internet is delivered via radio towers so the interruption of signals can become a problem for businesses.
Bandwidth and Speed
In the corporate world, time is money. A slow and weak internet connection causes significant inconvenience to your business operations. The slower your internet speed, the lower the productivity of your business, and lost time is lost money. You can’t gain it back. So finding a business internet provider that promises to deliver consistent internet speeds even during peak hours is necessary.
Make sure you understand the bandwidth and speed requirements of your business before signing up with any provider. How much speed and bandwidth do you need? What about the data caps on the plan you’re signed up for? What kind of upload and download speeds should you expect? Will the bandwidth be shared or dedicated to your business only? Figuring out your business internet needs will help you pick a decent business internet plan with decent internet prices that won’t let you down.
Customer Support
Running a business means putting everything at stake – sales, employees, customers, data – they all rely on your internet connectivity. So having support from your ISP should be at the top of your priority list. You need a safety net in case of emergencies, system or network crashes, power outages, and day-to-day operations from your ISP.
24/7 customer support from your ISP is a must. And this is typically highlighted in a Service Level Agreement (SLA) by your ISP. It talks about uptime, data caps, network quality, customer support, and much more that reassures your business about the connectivity they can expect. Ask about how your ISP provides customer support – phone, chat, or online. One fine example of incredible customer service is the EarthLink customer service team. They’re on standby for all and any issues or queries the customers may need help with!
Security
A top consideration should be internet security when you’re out for internet shopping. Security is one area where you should not compromise when setting your internet budget. The ISP you go for should deliver anti-malware protection, anti-spam, anti-virus, and anti-spyware programs. It should also offer cloud support and backup protection if you’re moving your business operations on the cloud.
Cost
Most ISPs offer business internet options in the same range and also offer discounted services when you bundle the internet with their phone and/or TVservices. Many of them also offer equipment and security services for free. The cost depends on the speed of the plan you go for. Make sure to ask about additional costs like equipment charges, installation fees, early termination fees, and data overages. It all depends on the kind of service you require.
To Wrap It Up
If you’re a new entrepreneur in town, you need all the help you could find on picking a business internet provider that suits you best. We hope this brief guide helped you pick the right one!
That was it for this article. If you found it helpful, consider checking out our blog STORIFYGO!
