One of the most important service providers your business has is the company that delivers your internet. Internet service providers (ISPs) are critical for getting work done. Not only must you obviously have an internet connection to do work these days, but you also need one that is strong and stable enough to meet your needs.
Businesses today use the internet for nearly everything. You’ll likely need an internet connection to communicate with your team and your customers, process credit card payments, make purchases, conduct video chats, use VoIP services, connect to cloud services, use many programs and applications, and much more. You can’t do much without the internet today.
Since your internet connection is so crucial to your business, you’ll need to make sure that you choose the right provider.
Choosing from the many available internet service providers can seem complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few factors to consider and that can help you select the right internet provider for your business.
What Internet Service Providers Do
Before you choose an ISP, it’s a good idea to think about what they do. At first thought, it seems obvious: internet service providers provide internet services. This internet connection can be offered through multiple means, including DSL internet, cable, satellite internet, wireless services, and fiber-optic connections.
Many different companies serve as internet services providers, including cable companies, phone companies, mobile carriers, and others. They usually provide services beyond just internet connections. For instance, an ISP may also offer email services, domain registration, web hosting, mobile phone services, cable TV services, and other connectivity solutions.
Similarly, most ISPs do more than just offer an internet connection. They also provide customer service and technical support while many rent equipment (such as modems and routers) to customers. These factors can be a significant differentiating factor between providers. When looking for an ISP, you’re not only choosing a company to provide your internet service. You’re looking for the right partner to work with your business.
What to Look for in an ISP
There are many types of internet services available on the market and also many differences between those companies.
Customer Service Matters
First of all, when you contact any internet services company, you want them to be polite. You want them to speak to you with kindness and respect and you want them to legitimately care about your situation. However, it’s about more than kindness when you’re talking about customer service. It’s about their team being accessible and effective.
When considering different internet service providers, ask what their customer service hours are. If you have an issue with your internet on the weekend, for example, you don’t want to have to wait until Monday to speak with someone. This can cause serious slowdowns for your business. In the same sense, it’s also important to find out as much as you can about their response times. If there is a problem that requires a technician coming out to your property, how quickly can you expect to have this done? Every hour that your business is without internet service can be potentially devastating for your company.
Reliability and Responsiveness
It’s critical to care about the reliability and responsiveness of different internet service providers. Look at each company’s customer satisfaction ratings online. Talk to other business owners. See if you can get real, firsthand information on what it’s like to work with a certain internet provider. Doing so will give you great information about their customer service and support, and will help you understand if the company really offers the level of service it claims.
Other Services
You also want to look into the other services that the ISP provides. For example, many offer bundles that let you combine several services (such as mobile phone service, internet service, cable TV, etc.) together at a price that is less than it would cost to pay for each of these services separately. Bundling services can save you money, but only if you were planning on purchasing and using each of these services. Think about what your business will actually use and whether it makes sense for you to bundle.
Equipment Rental
There are also equipment rental concerns to remember. Many ISPs will rent equipment such as modems and routers to clients who are using their services. There can be advantages to this. The first is that you won’t need to pay the upfront cost of purchasing the equipment yourself. The second is that, when you’re renting, it’s easy to change out the equipment if it stops working. You can also easily upgrade to a different service if needed and you won’t need to go out and buy all new hardware. The ISP will just start renting you the newer equipment instead.
However, they may be downsides to this as well. For instance, if you’re renting a modem on a monthly basis, there will likely be a point where the total you’ve paid through rental fees becomes higher than the cost of purchasing it outright in the first place. Do these calculations before you choose an internet provider.
Of course, while the company itself certainly matters, the services they provide are important as well. Finding the right service depends on the needs of your business.
Choosing the Right Internet
Whether you decide to use DSL internet, cable internet, satellite internet, fiber-optic services, or any other type of connection will depend on a few things. The first is what is available. Depending on where you live or work, you may be limited in your choice. For instance, in some areas, cable may be the only choice if you’re looking for fast, reliable internet. In other regions, you might be limited to DSL service.
The provider you choose will determine what type of connection you have as well, since some providers will only offer certain types. If you’re set on a particular ISP (because of their availability, cost, service quality, etc.), you will be limited to the services they provide.
Three of the most common types of internet connections are digital subscriber line (DSL), cable, and fiber-optic. They differ in many ways, from their speed to their bandwidth to their prices. Here is what you need to know about each type of connection:
- DSL internet
- DSL internet uses phone lines to connect to the internet. It is the most commonly available type of internet in most areas. It is different, however, from dial-up internet. While this form of internet also uses phone lines, DSL connections are considerably faster.
- DSL has been a popular way to connect to the internet for at least 20 years, so these connections are available nearly everywhere. Speeds, however, depend on your location. Some areas have very fast DSL connections in place while others do not.
- Using DSL to the internet can be slower than other connection types, especially in some areas.
- Cable internet
- Cable internet is usually offered by internet service providers that also provide cable TV services. It is a widely-available connection type and offered in several speeds.
- Cable internet tends to be quite reliable, but it may suffer from slowdowns depending on the type of connection, the area, and how many others in the region are using it. During peak times, when many people are connecting at the same time, speeds can suffer.
- Fiber-optic internet
- Commonly known as fiber internet, this is a newer technology powered by speed cables made of fibers and glass. These connections are less vulnerable to interference than other types, making it a more consistent and reliable connection.
- Fiber internet is typically the fastest service available, but it is not as widespread as other technologies. Most of the time, you will only find fiber-optic internet available in larger cities and more populated areas. However, its availability is expanding.
In addition to these three types of connections, there is also satellite internet. This too is a newer form of technology, and is essentially available anywhere and to anyone who has the right hardware. While traditional satellite internet is not as fast as a cable or fiber connection, it is most common in rural areas where broadband connections are not available.
There is also 5G internet service. It is most commonly used for mobile devices such as phones, but there are some providers that offer 5G home and business internet. For instance, AT&T internet is now available in some markets as a 5G fixed wireless solution. This service operates wirelessly, but you need an indoor or outdoor receiver to connect from your property. It is not the same as the 5G connection on your phone. Much like with fiber internet, most of the areas where this connection is available are larger cities.
Depending on your area, there could be one or many options available to you. Know that they’re not all created equal. In addition to the type of connection, there are several other things to keep in mind.
- Availability
- As mentioned, certain services and connection types are only available in certain regions. If your area doesn’t have access to a type of internet, it won’t be available to you. Many ISPs let you put in your address or zip code to show you what they offer in your area.
- Reliability
- You need to have a strong and consistent connection. You don’t want your internet to grind to a snail’s pace or give out completely without warning.
- Many business internet service providers offer a Service Level Agreement (SLA) which promises certain reliability. If they cannot meet this standard, you will be entitled to a rebate, discount, or credit in your account.
- Security
- Internet security is crucial today, especially for businesses. Criminals are, unfortunately, constantly looking for ways to steal data, hold company information for ransom, or gain access to your system and tools. The reality is that cyberattacks cost businesses significantly. In fact, many companies aren’t able to survive a significant data loss or theft situation.
- While you can’t count on your ISP to provide you with all the security you need (and you should certainly have your own cybersecurity and backup plan in place), you should still look for any potential red flags with the company before you sign on. You don’t want to work with an ISP that has a history of data breaches or other issues.
- Cost
- Cost is an important consideration for every business. Don’t go into this process thinking that all ISPs are the same. If you shop around, you might find that prices vary considerably between companies. Remember to look for additional fees when comparing costs. Read the terms of each offer closely as some ISPs may include various undisclosed charges in the fine print, such as administration, installation and setup fees, late payment penalties, and so on.
- In addition to the cost, you should think about the value of the offer as well. If you have to pay a bit more to work with an ISP that offers better speeds, features, bandwidth, or customer service, that could be worth it to you.
- Providers frequently offer promotions, especially for new users to entice them to sign up. You may want to take advantage of these deals, but note that sometimes promotional pricing expires. This means you may get a good deal on your first year of service, for example, but the cost will then increase considerably.
- Bandwidth and speed
- Speed refers to the maximum rate that your connection can transmit data. Bandwidth refers to the maximum amount that the connection can handle at a time. Both are measured in megabits per second (Mbps) or gigabits per second (Gbps). These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they have slightly different meanings. In short, connections that have faster speeds and higher bandwidth let you do things online more quickly and they also support more devices.
- If your business does a lot of activities that use a lot of bandwidth (like video calls or downloading large files), and if you have multiple internet-connected devices operating at the same time, you’ll need a faster connection with higher bandwidth than if you only have a few devices and all you usually do is check email.
- Data considerations
- Most ISPs offer unlimited data for business connections. However, that may not always be the case in all instances, so it’s worth confirming. Some providers will charge you extra if you go over your allotted data cap. Others will advertise unlimited data, but they will “deprioritize” those who use more than the specified amount each month. This slows your internet speeds considerably and makes it tough to get anything done. Keep this in mind when you’re looking at different providers.
In many ways, choosing the right internet provider is a personal decision based on the factors that matter to your company. Each business will have their own considerations and some internet service providers will meet those needs while others will not.
While it’s important to research the options, it’s often just as important to think about your own needs. What works for other companies may not be right for you. Keep this in mind when you’re exploring the options.
What is “High-Speed Internet” Today?
Technology is always changing and improving, so what is considered cutting edge one day is very quickly seen as old and outdated. When it comes to internet connections, everyone wants fast connections. Not only do they help you download large files (such as videos) more quickly, but many modern applications require a fast connection. It’s difficult to stream live video or have a video chat if you don’t have high-speed internet.
With new applications come new requirements and that means the definition of “high-speed internet” is different today than it once was. In 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) stated that its broadband standard was 25 Mbps downloads and 3 Mbps uploads. Today, that wouldn’t be considered especially fast. There is now a push to have the FCC modify its standard to 100 Mbps downloads and 20 Mbps uploads.
In general, 100 Mbps is usually considered quite fast today. If you have a connection with this speed or greater, you should be able to download large files, stream video on several devices simultaneously, and do most typical internet-related activities.
Of course, there are faster connections, including those that offer 300 Mbps speeds and even greater. Many fiber connections offer download speeds of 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps) and they usually offer an upload speed of up to 940 Mbps. These speeds are some of the fastest currently available and signing up for one of these services will allow you to conduct data-intensive tasks (such as streaming 4K video or conducting video chats) on several devices at once.
Having faster upload speeds (which most gigabit fiber connections have) also makes video calls better, since calls both upload and download large amounts of data (as opposed to streaming video, which primarily only downloads data).
Therefore, it’s important to think about whether you need these speeds when you’re choosing a provider. Having incredibly fast download and upload speeds can be great if your business does a lot of streaming and video calling, but these high-speed connections aren’t always necessary for all businesses. Think about your needs before you sign up for the fastest plan available. You don’t want to end up paying more for something you don’t need.
Since internet services get faster and better all the time, you need to stay on top of what is available. An internet plan you signed up for five years ago may have been state-of-the-art at the time, but it could be outclassed by today’s services.
The Oppuous marketplace is the perfect way to compare offerings from many different providers. You can easily find what’s available and compare the options to get the one that’s right for you. It’s a good idea to check out the different ISPs every so often to make sure you’re still getting a good deal and that your current plan meets your current needs. Businesses change, so what worked for you several years ago may not be right for your company in its current form.
Rural Considerations
Rural areas have specific considerations to keep in mind. Unlike in large cities or other more populated areas, there might be fewer choices in rural areas. There simply aren’t as many internet service providers in locations that aren’t as populated. Unfortunately, this also means that you might not get the level of service, speed, or customer satisfaction ratings that you’re looking for.
Fiber
Fiber connections in particular are not very common in most rural areas. Installing fiber optic cables is costly, complex, and demanding for providers, so they often focus on getting these connections installed in heavily populated areas first.
Another specific consideration to keep in mind is the physical area and where your business is located. Lakes, rivers, forests, hills, mountains, and other physical features may interfere with wireless internet signals. This can make 4G and even 5G connections unreliable or sometimes unavailable in some rural areas. Wireless connections may not be the best for you, depending on the physical area.
DSL
DSL connections can also struggle in remote areas, since the farther you are from the source, the worse the connection. If your business is located a long distance from an urban area, you can likely still get a DSL internet connection, but it may not be very fast.
Satellite
Satellite internet works by sending signals from a ground-based antenna to a service provider’s satellite in space. These connections work essentially anywhere on Earth since they only require a dish receiver and open access to the sky. That makes them a common choice for rural internet. They’re also quite easy to set up since you don’t need to connect physical wires.
However, many satellite internet services are quite slow and vulnerable to weather conditions. This means you may have slower speeds or an inconsistent connection when it’s cloudy, foggy, or stormy, for instance.
One workaround may be considering Starlink satellite internet service, which uses small low-earth-orbit satellites rather than larger satellites usually located farther from Earth. This service allows for faster speeds and connections that are more stable and reliable. Oppuous offers Starlink to our customers, allowing them to have strong and stable internet, no matter where they are. Contact us to learn more.
When it comes to choosing between different internet service providers, we’re here to help. The process is important, but it doesn’t need to be confusing, complicated, or frustrating. We can help you get great high-speed internet for your business, no matter where you are. Learn more about our services and get an instant quote for high-speed internet today.
