subject: How To Increase Bandwidth For Your Business Without Increasing The Costs [print this page] What is Bandwidth? What is Bandwidth?
Since starting an online business I"ve learned a whole new vocabulary. The first time one of my technicians approached me to talk about bandwidth and Ethernet services my eyes crossed. When he launched into a soliloquy about the advantages of Ethernet over Fiber I am sure he thought we were speaking two different languages.
So for those of you who are where I was a few short months ago, here is a simplified description of bandwidth. Think of bandwidth as an electronic road. When your computer connects to the Internet you are doing so via bandwidth. Increasing bandwidth then is simply like widening the roadway outside your house or town. Just like widening the road increases the number of lanes in which traffic can drive, so too, widening the bandwidth increases the amount of Internet. So with wider bandwidth so can get web pages with more and better graphics and animation. The wider the bandwidth, the faster things will load for you. Bandwidth is measured by how much information can be downloaded to your computer per second.
Usually in order to get more and faster service, you pay a higher monthly cost.
Why is Bandwidth Important?
Beyond mere irritation and exasperation over not being able to download your favorite movie, having enough bandwidth will save you time and frustration. In business, time is money. If you are running an online business, you need reliable, fast service. This will increase your business traffic and hence revenue. If your clients buy goods and/or services from you online your service has to be smooth, efficient, reliable and safe. Otherwise your clients will give up and go somewhere else. They will also tell their friends to do so.
You also probably do online banking, pay your bills and send invoices out online. This all increases Internet traffic and necessitates wider bandwidth.
What are the Alternatives?
The first and most obvious alternative is to purchase more bandwidth. Before you go to the expense of doubling your bandwidth, consider other alternatives. Your solution may cost your business little or nothing. First, selling additional bandwidth has become quite competitive. More bandwidth sellers mean cheaper prices for additional bandwidth. Do your homework. Get several price quotes before deciding. Weigh purchasing extra bandwidth against the cost and efficiency of other alternatives.
Purchasing new band1width products is one another way to go. MPLS networks could replace Frame Relay networks for linking to remote websites. Carrier Ethernet solutions allow you to transfer data from one LAN to another within your business. VPN connections could work as dedicated private lines; these are very cost-efficient.
