Business is a fast-paced game and for many operators, 300 Mbps helps make them competitive in the market. With the rise of modern technology and office innovations, the need for high speed internet access is great. The last thing you or your employees need is a slow internet connection stifling productivity. But what Mbps is fast enough for your business? Will 300 Mbps work for you?
Of course everyone wants 1 Gbps broadband. Or maybe even a whopping 10 Gbps! But, a mid-size or multi-location business shouldn’t pay for speed they don’t need and might not use. You also don’t want too little speed that falters during peak periods (think lagging videos, slow loading pages, and buffering).
The 300 Mbps internet package is an option that offers steady and fast speeds for both upload and download and the ability to connect multiple devices easily.
If you are considering moving to a higher level of internet access to meet the needs of your growing business – adding employees or new locations for example – consider some of the activities that require faster online speeds. Cloud-based services, video downloading and streaming, calling and conferencing among several sites, or data storage backups can all demand a large amount of bandwidth.
How we measure internet bandwidth is with Mbps, or megabits per second. Each activity you do online requires a varying level of Mbps. For example, a business with just a few connected devices (not just computers, but everything on the network) needing the internet for web surfing, email, and some minimal downloading may get by with 5 to 10 Mbps. If your business has employees often doing high-need activities, you should consider upgrading your internet to at least 300 Mbps.
300 Mbps provides a download speed of 37.5 Mb per second. That means downloading a presentation deck might take about 10 seconds. A song might take 7 seconds. This might not seem like much time, but consider that you have multiple employees on multiple computers all doing similar tasks at the same time. Files and data can slow during high peak-use periods if your service is not meeting your needs.
The first thing to determine if you might need an upgrade is to take a quick survey of your employees. Do you hear complaints? If so, it’s time to start looking at what the problem may be.
You want to find out the speed of the internet that you are currently using through your ISP or internet service provider. You can do this by running a speed test, having your IT department do a quick study, or you can get a report from your ISP. While bandwidth is certainly important, there can be other issues such as latency (how long it takes data to reach its intended recipient) that can cause problems. Use the Fusion Connect Speed Test Plus which also checks latency and jitter to evaluate everything at once.
Several factors like geography and high-traffic affect latency. If latency might be the problem, you can request to have your data rerouted for faster speed. A lot of business owners believe the only fix is to add more bandwidth, but latency isn’t fixed by adding more juice so to speak.
Check your original agreement to make sure you are getting what you signed up for. You should have a Service Level Agreement, or SLA, that explains what ranges you should fall within. If your ISP isn’t delivering as promised, or if you decide it’s time to get more capacity, it might be a good time to look for another ISP.
Perhaps earlier in your business you went with the first provider you found, but now that your business is growing and you know how critical uptime is to your bottom line, you want a solid business SLA. A good ISP will give you a comprehensive quote after discussing your specific needs with you or your IT department. One good rule of thumb some businesses follow is to have two times the internet speed you believe you need to handle bursts of activity.
Most business owners find that the price of 300 Mbps is well worth it. For residential services, you may find 300 Mbps to 1 Gbps for about $100 - $150 per month. For businesses, it should be higher because the Service Level Agreement (SLA) is stronger. It should incorporate support prioritization, fast troubleshooting, and a promised internet uptime. This is why it’s critical for any business running on a residential service to upgrade to a business internet package that provides far more reliability and service level commitments by the provider.
Time is valuable when it comes to your business operations. As a business owner, both you and your employees need stable connectivity to service customers, increase productivity, and create a positive working environment. 300 Mbps internet gives you the reliability your team needs to thrive. Fusion Connect offers affordable business solutions with quick setup and excellent customer service. Consider combining your Internet connection with your phone system for even more savings.