It’s no longer optional for a business to have internet access. Whether it’s a small business that merely needs to keep a presence on social media, or a giant conglomerate dabbling in the newest cloud technologies, internet is crucial. Internet is where information can be found. It’s how businesses can stay in touch with their customers and clients. The internet provides access to almost any idea or potential idea. The best businesses use the internet to their benefit, rather than as an afterthought.
The way a business accesses the internet is through their internet plans. Unless the business itself is a telecommunications company, it’s not likely they are going to have their own connectivity. Business internet plans range from the simple to the powerful. They can sometimes feel like the gateway that takes any business from the past into the future. There are over 2000 internet service providers in the United States. However, often times it just boils down to the biggest and most popular providers in order to get the best services.
Popular Business Internet Plans
There are so many companies offering business internet plans out there. So who should be chosen? All of the following are very popular and are quality services. Each have their benefits and their weaknesses. A business needs to choose the internet provider that can give them the most benefit while avoiding potentially damaging business relationships.
Charter Spectrum
Charter doesn’t rely on speed to grow its company. Charter used to be known as Time Warner Cable, but with the change in brand came a change in plans. Charter Spectrum seems to come across as a business internet that avoids offending. It’s just always “okay”.
Advantages:
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Good Customer Service - Charter Spectrum typically is at the top of customer service ratings.
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Wide Fiber Coverage - Charter Spectrum does have a wide fiber optic coverage area.
Disadvantages:
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Mundane Speeds - Unfortunately, the peak speeds of Charter Spectrum can’t compare with competitors. This makes it better suited to smaller or medium sized companies.
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Only Monthly Pricing - While monthly pricing can make sense sometimes, it’s nice to have the option to dig in with a good price for a fixed rate when you know there’s no need to change service providers.
Verizon
Verizon is another of the large telecommunications companies and has invested a lot in fiber optics through their “Fios” offerings. Verizon also has a larger coverage area throughout the United States with their fiber optic network.
Advantages:
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Large Network - Verizon has fiber optics is more states than anyone else. If not fiber, they offer dedicated copper lines in all states.
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Speed - Verizon’s speeds are great for their business internet. In fact, independent testing has shown their speeds to actually be faster than their advertised rate.
Disadvantages:
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Price - Verizon can be very expensive, especially if a business chooses the month to month subscription option rather than a long term contract.
AT&T Internet
It’s not surprising that one of America’s telecommunication giants would make this list. AT&T has been servicing households seemingly forever. Their business internet comes in several different forms depending on the size of a business. Small Businesses do an excellent job with AT&T.
Advantages:
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Transparency - The pricing from AT&T is up front and accurate. There’s no obscure cancellation fees. They are up front about the costs if you would cancel. (It’s high, but it’s honest)
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Can Bundle - If your business needs other services like phone, television or even a live tech support division, AT&T offers that as well.
Disadvantages:
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2 Year Minimum Contract - While it’s good to know what you are going to pay, it might be nicer for businesses if they have more flexibility.
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High Cancellation Fees - As mentioned before, there is a very expensive cancellation fee if anyone chooses to leave AT&T before the contract is up.
Comcast Business
While Verizon may be faster at the peak of their internet powers, Comcast Business provides incredible reliability. Unfortunately there are some downsides to Comcast as well.
Advantages:
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Reliable - Comcast business offers great speeds and very reliable connections. This is great for companies that require constant stable internet connections and can’t afford an outage.
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Widespread - While Comcast isn’t available in the entire United States, it’s quite widespread.
Disadvantages:
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Customer Service - Not many internet providers receive rave reviews when it comes to customer service. Comcast still falls short of the average ratings of much of their competition.
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Transparency - Comcast business tends to have a lot of hidden cancellation fees. These are hidden away so that potential customers won’t go elsewhere.
Important Facts: Business Internet Plans
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Bandwidth Matters - Finding the right plan can come down to what you are doing and how much bandwidth you require. Many companies offer great download speeds, but upload speeds are arguably more important when it comes to business.
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DSL and Cable are Fading Away - While these are still the basic options for business internet, these are slowly becoming more obsolete as fiber optics takes over. These are still great options for small businesses.
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Dedicated Copper Still Works - Many businesses have heard of “T1 and T3” lines. What these lines are is dedicated copper lines. Whereas Cable internet shared bandwidth with users, these copper lines are just for the business. Many Universities and large businesses continue to run through these dedicated lines.
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Fiber is the Future - Fiber optic internet transfers data through light. This means incredible speed. The downside is that fiber optic internet is still only available in about ¼ of the United States. If a fiber connection is available, a business should be happy to take advantage of it.
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Determine Your Goals - If your company is merely using the internet for advertising and email, then it won’t need nearly as much bandwidth as when it’s being used for teleconferencing or big data manipulation.
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How Big Is Your Company? - The number of users that will be using the internet matters. Each connection takes up more bandwidth. For small businesses, traditional cable and dsl lines are enough. However, for businesses that require computer use by hundreds of people, it makes sense to invest in something more powerful.
