subject: Bargain Business Broadband [print this page] An internet connection is an essential tool for a large majority of businesses today. Customers, suppliers and colleagues can be communicated with via email and your website can be updated and managed in-house if you have a suitable broadband connection.
Broadband is therefore likely to be an essential service for your business and its important to know that business broadband differs from the broadband service you would receive at home.
The most effective way to secure the best broadband package for your business is to shop around and compare what the various providers offer.
The requirements for business broadband most likely vary from that of a residential user. If you lose your internet connection at home it can be frustrating but if the same happened within a business environment, the effects could be damaging.
Losing an internet connection within a business environment, even for a few hours, means employees cannot carry out their day-to-day tasks and customers cannot contact you as usual. Overall, a few hours of internet downtime could potentially result in a significant amount of lost time, resources and profit, all of which have a negative impact on business.
Business broadband packages tend to come with a greater level of technical support than home broadband packages. Service level agreements (SLAs) clearly outline the timeframe within which you can expect your broadband service to be up and running again, so this is an important factor to look out for when comparing business broadband packages.
The level of security offered by broadband providers is another key factor to include when making your decision. A virus on your home computer is a nuisance but if a business computer system becomes infected, havoc can be wreaked and this could end in disaster when it comes to lost data and damaged files.
Business broadband packages usually offer a higher level of security for your data and network so this is a good point to compare between different providers.
You will usually require a faster broadband connection at the office, especially if you will be using the internet during peak times.
If you have a small office with a few internet users then you could opt for low-speed/low-contention SDSL broadband with upload and download speeds in the region of 2mb.
For increased speeds and more users, speeds of around 20mb will be enough to enable heavier internet usage. You may want to consider a wireless router and a package that includes Wi-Fi minutes. You could also set up a business broadband network which allows you to easily connect between five to 20 users to the internet.
There are plans afoot to introduce super-fast broadband throughout the United Kingdom, capable of connection speeds of up to 40mb and upload speeds of either 2mb or 10mb.
If your business isn't always office centred then mobile business broadband offers the ultimate flexibility and enables employees to access the world-wide-web when out and about.
