Nearly every business in operation today pays for internet as part of their basic overhead costs. Essential for intra-business communication, reaching potential new clients, and providing customer service, internet is a crucial utility for any company. But with so many options on the market, how do you determine the right internet package for your business?
In this two-part blog series, we’ve got your back – covering everything from speed and bandwidth, to how much data you really need and why.
Internet Speed
While internet companies usually label the highest speeds of internet as “business” plans, the needs of each individual business warrant different levels of service. According to How-to-Geek, a popular tech website, there are several important considerations when deciding on an internet package.
The two main factors in determining how fast your internet connection should be are:
• How many people will need to be connected to the network; and
• How much data your business uploads and downloads as part of its operation.
For example, a company that has 100 employees and deals with file repair would need a much higher internet speed than an e-commerce business with 5 onsite employees.
Internet plans often have different speeds for uploading and downloading, so you’ll also want to tailor your package to reflect your uploading and downloading habits. Many internet companies boast high download speeds, but low upload speeds, meaning that attaching large files to an email or uploading them to a website would prove difficult.
Internet Bandwidth
To understand the math behind determining internet bandwidth, it’s important to differentiate between speed and data caps. While speed is a measure of how much data you can download at once, a data cap is a monthly limit on the total amount of downloadable data.
When it comes to desktop internet plans, speed is usually the most important determining factor, since data caps are most common in mobile data packages, but some ISPs like Comcast incorporate a data cap into their plans. This cap can either be a cease-of-service after a certain volume of downloads, or reduction of internet speed after the limit is reached.
Because of this, it’s worth noting that businesses that stream a lot of video or frequently hold video calls with clients or other office locations will need a higher bandwidth.
Ultimately, to determine the internet package that is right for you, you will need to look at the needs of your business.
Do you have a large number of employees? Do you regularly stream video, upload or download large files, or make video calls? If so, you will want to choose an internet package with a higher bandwidth to accommodate heavy usage.
If, however, your business uses internet mainly for emails, web maintenance, and web surfing, a package containing higher speed and less bandwidth will most likely suit your needs, with a smaller dent in your budget.
Curious as to how much data or speed is enough for your company needs? Stay tuned for part two of this blog series, where we’ll dive into the numbers behind your everyday business internet usage, and help determine the right plan for you.
