Choosing the right business internet service provider is crucial to avoiding issues that may come up later. Slow and unreliable internet connection can frustrate your employees resulting in slower productivity. There are numerous factors that go into choosing the right business internet connection provider. You should base your decision on not only your current needs but also the kind of growth you want to see in the future.

Choosing the right technology

Direct Subscriber Line (DSL):

DSL is an internet connection where data is transmitted over telephone lines. Telephone lines are made of copper, while copper is a great conductor, a DSL connection cannot move data as fast as a cable or fibernet internet connection. One crucial factor that will affect your decision on DSL is the distance between your home and the telephone provider’s office. This means that the farther you are from the main line, the weaker the signal, and the slower the internet connection.

Cable:

Cable internet connections run on telephone lines which use coaxial cables to transmit data, and these can carry more bandwidth than a direct subscriber line connection. When compared to DSL, a cable connection’s connectivity does not depend on the distance. However, unlike a DSL connection, which is a dedicated telephone line, cable connections are usually shared among users. This would mean that the bandwidth gets divided among users, also a lesser secure option. In terms of speed, cable connections are 3 to 4 times faster than DSL and provide speeds to 10-50 Mbps usually.

Fibernet:

Fiber optic cables are the latest technology in the internet service business. These connections make use of fiber optic cables which transmit data at the speed of light. Unlike cable or DSL, the transmission happens over glass and this is immune to all interferences. There are two broad types of fiber connections - direct internet access (DIA) and a fibernet broadband. Direct internet access is an option more commonly used by businesses as it is a dedicated internet line that provides more security and reliability of connectivity. Fibernet broadband is used by individuals at homes. Fibernet speeds range from 150 Mbps to 1000 Mbps.

Factors to Consider

Below are the factors you need to consider while choosing a business internet service provider.

Responsive in nature:

24X7 customer support

Dedicated relationship manager

In-house operation experts

Dedicated NOC helpdesk

Multi-level communication matrix. Reliability is essential - All businesses require a very reliable Internet option that is working when you need it. It could hurt your business if you lose customers and sales because of unreliable Internet service. Look out for the below features in your internet service providers to ensure that they tick the reliability box.

Internet leased line services

Dual path redundancy

Multi-Gig capacity

End-to-end SLA

Customized network routing

Uncongested core

Lower load times

Superior web hosting

Disaster recovery systems

Integrated DDoS protection

Dedicated bandwidth