Basically every business relies on internet access nowadays. The internet is useful for sending emails, responding to customers, advertising online, or most commonly, selling products online. You can opt for either business broadband or home broadband package. But you should consider the nature of your business when determining a suitable broadband package. If you use the internet infrequently, and you do not send or receive large amounts of data, then a home broadband package can be a suitable option. Conversely, if you send and receive large amounts of data, then a business broadband package will do.
For home-based businesses, a home broadband connection is sometimes adequate provided that the business uses the internet infrequently, internet access is not central to your business operations, and downtime or slowdowns do not significantly affect the profitability of the business. A home broadband connection is also appropriate only when you do not need large data transfers such as uploading or downloading large files so as to continue your business operations.
Besides the obvious, business broadband connections offers greater levels of technical support as compared to the home broadband package. Because many businesses do rely on broadband connections for their daily operations, it is important that if something goes amiss, they can find help immediately. Moreover, business broadband subscribers are likely to get priority compared to home users when it comes to getting the needed technical support. Some providers will provide a Service Level Agreement with a subscriber for a business broadband connection, guaranteeing that if problems occur, they will be fixed within a definite time-frame.
Another important difference worth noting is the difference in contention ratio. The contention ratio of any broadband connection defines the number of users who’ll be sharing the same server. The contention ratio often affects the speed of the broadband connection. For instance, in a home network, there might be as many as fifty users sharing one server at one particular time. The contention ratio in such a case is 50:1. A business broadband, on the other hand, may just accommodate 20 users on the same server at a go. In such a case, the contention ratio of the business broadband is 20:1.
A lower contention ratio generally implies that there’ll be a faster connection- a very important factor worth considering for all business users.
Speed is an important consideration as well. Business broadband packages always provide faster connection speeds than home broadband connections. If your business will be running its own website, then you’ll definitely need a faster speed. Faster speeds are necessary for a number of web-based operations.
And, business broadband packages provide more generous download allowances. While most home broadband packages may limit the amount of data that a person may download each month- some of them as little as one gigabyte- this is usually not practical for business use. For businesses that operate their own websites, or use the broadband connection heavily, a large, or unlimited download limit is advisable.
It is also wise to consider security. Generally, protection is crucial to every internet user. And a major breach of your business’ online security is potentially ruinous. Therefore, it is good that a broadband package that a business chooses feature improved security so that the business’ data remains completely secure. Possibly, the ideal business broadband package should come with an anti-spyware, abuse control, online backup, free security package, etc. It is noteworthy that most home broadband connections do not have these features which are necessary for the security of your business’ data.
What is more? As the owner of a business, you’d want a broadband that offers a variety of different things. Some of those things are not possible in a home broadband package. For instance, a business may want to run its own email and web server, access the PC from anywhere, and maybe have secure access to work or to other remote networks. These things are not possible with a home broadband package as they usually require a static IP address. Some business broadband packages come with a static IP address at a small cost or sometimes for free. Besides, a business broadband package may feature email accounts, managed networks, access to Wi-Fi hotspots, wireless routers, etc.
Therefore, based on the foregoing, it is prudent that even a home-based business get business-specific packages.