If your business internet isn’t up-to-scratch, then you could be letting yourself and your customers down. Whether you run a large corporation, a small start-up or anything in between, the last thing you want is to miss out on potential business because you’re not on the right business internet plan. Problems arising from a poorly chosen plan can significantly impact your business operations and productivity, leading to unnecessary losses.
Lucky for you, we have this helpful guide outlining what factors to consider when choosing an internet plan for your business.
What is business internet?
Before we move on to the differences between business internet plans, let’s first discuss how business internet differs from home internet.
Business internet vs. home internet
It might seem like a simple enough distinction to make but the differences in what constitutes business internet versus home internet are actually more to do with how they’re used rather than where they’re used.
Home internet is a connection that’s primarily designed for individual use, and focused on basic tasks like browsing memes, streaming your favourite series, emails from distant relatives and all those newsletters you accidentally signed up to. You know, all the fun stuff.
Whereas business internet is tailored to meet the specific needs of companies and is designed to offer increased reliability, fast upload and download speeds, and often comes with dedicated support.
Types of business internet
Business internet comes in various forms, but the two main ones are shared and dedicated connections.
Shared internet: Multiple businesses or users all sharing the same connection. This can lead to reduced speeds during peak usage times if the demand is too high. Most home internet will use this kind of connection.
Dedicated internet: With this connection, businesses have a dedicated, secure, high-capacity connection, ensuring consistent high-speed performance. Dedicated internet (for business) via Superloop provides enterprise-grade fibre connections with symmetrical speeds of up to 2Gbps/2Gbps.
Why is it important for businesses to have a good internet connection?
A fast and reliable business internet connection is essential to modern operations. Here's why:
Uninterrupted operations: A reliable internet connection keeps your business running smoothly without disruption or downtime.
Enhanced productivity: Faster speeds enable quicker access to critical data and applications, boosting employee efficiency.
Competitive edge: Customers expect businesses to be online and ensuring you have a superior internet connection can help set you apart.
Customer satisfaction: Fast and responsive online services make for a great customer experience, good word of mouth, and even more business.
What factors should businesses consider when choosing a business internet plan?
Selecting the right business internet plan involves careful consideration of several key factors.
Understand the needs of your business
Begin by assessing the unique requirements of your business:
Internet usage: You’ll need to determine how your business uses the internet, whether it’s for basic email and browsing, or for more bandwidth-intensive tasks like video conferencing and large data transfers.
Number of employees: The more employees you have, the greater your bandwidth needs will be. You’ll have to consider the number of simultaneous connections that your business requires during peak hours.
Software and applications: Identify what applications and software are most crucial to your business operations. There are several factors to consider, such as whether your industry relies on cloud-based software services that demand high-speed connections.
Budget: Along with considering your business needs, you should also consider your business costs. It’s important to know how much your business can afford to spend on an internet plan. Of course, you shouldn't compromise on quality, but knowing your financial limits is essential. Once you’ve established a clear budget you can look to choose a business nbn plan that suits your needs.
What types of connections are available for your business
Once you've fully assessed your needs, it’s time to explore the different types of business internet connections that may be available to you depending on your location:
Fibre: With its speed and reliability, a fibre-optic connection is a top choice for many businesses. Fibre can also offer symmetrical internet speeds, meaning upload and download speeds are equal. Speeds on Fibre can be as fast as 2 Gbps.
Cable: Cable internet was once the category leader for small to medium-sized businesses before the upgrade to nbn. Cable delivers download speeds of up to 100 Mbps, and upload speeds around 2 Mbps.
DSL/ADSL/ADSL2 (Digital Subscriber Line): DSL is an older broadband technology utilising the copper wiring of the existing telephone lines to access the internet via a modem. Speeds and reliability varied greatly, and this technology has gradually become obsolete since the nbn rollout began in 2007.
Satellite: Satellite internet technology involves beaming data via radio signals through space. The two primary satellite internet services are the nbn Sky Muster and Space X’s Starlink service. This can be a reliable choice for remote locations, although it may have higher latency.
Compare different plans
When comparing business internet plans from different providers, it’s important to consider the following factors:
Speed, bandwidth, and price: You should look for a plan that offers the right balance of speed and bandwidth to suit the needs and budget of your business.
Customer service and support: Quick and effective service and support is an essential part of any great internet service. Always do your research and read a variety of reviews to get an accurate account of any prospective provider's public reputation for customer service and support.
Fine print: Carefully read and review the terms of your contract, looking for details such as contract length and any data caps that may apply.
Once you’ve determined what your business needs you can choose whether you should go for a business NBN plan or an Enterprise Ethernet plan with speeds of 2Gbps/2Gbps.
