Businesses be they in Austin or Agra, demand round the clock broadband connectivity and IT support that enable instant response. Every login, click, upload or download can be critical for operations.
Technology is constantly evolving with traditional computers manifold times faster and the proliferation of umpteen internet-connected devices. But one area that’s lagging is the most vital of them all. Back in 90’s speeds of 25 Mb/s were the standard and are more or less the norm even today. Standard broadband speeds are still languishing at levels they were 2 decades ago.
But with more and more people are using the internet, it’s getting over-crowded. There are gigantic video downloads and online gamers and geeks hogging all the available bandwidth. This is the reason why most internet connections slow down to a crawl at certain times of the day.
Hourglasses turning over and over just won’t do for any modern business.
Available Options
There are many broadband connections being touted as being optimal for businesses. These deals tend to be on shared lines and are cheap because of that. They may not suite businesses that need fast and assured connectivity.
As a rule of the thumb, regular broadband connections are subject to a ratio of 50:1; I.e, one broadband line is split into fifty connections. Estimating 2-3 people online from each home at any time, that’s hundreds of users fighting for limited bandwidth. No wonder that internet apps turn out too slow for your comfort.
Broadband using a mobile cellular network can be too unreliable for use in a commercial setting. You are also subject to “fair usage” clauses that limit advertised speeds of so called “unlimited” plans to a certain amount of data.
Satellite broadband is available everywhere, but prohibitively expensive and tends to frequently break down in heavy weather conditions.
A Dedicated Line
Business broadband connections are dedicated leased lines that have a contention ratio of 1:1. While this can be costlier compared to standard shared broadband, the speed and quality of service makes it worth it.
A typical shared line broadband service will have upload speeds typically a fraction of that of the download speed. A leased line connection is symmetrical in that the upload and download speeds are the same. With this kind of connection, your video and VOIP calls will not suffer from lags.
In addition, since the leased line is exclusively yours, the speed will stay the same any time of the day. Internet service providers manage the traffic on a shared line, controlling connections that place high demands on the line. With a dedicated line, you don’t affect other customers and thus there is no need to moderate your speed.
Reliability
Things will go wrong because they can. That’s true even for high end technology. But if your dedicated line develops a fault you always have the fall-back option of a shared connection. You can still enjoy connectivity, though the backup connection will be slower.
Since you pay more for a leased line, you also get a better service level agreement and faults tend to be repaired quicker. Faulty incidents also tend to be less frequent because of the more advanced equipment that enables your service.
Choosing a Plan
Dedicated Leased Lines are more than sufficient for the requirements of most companies and service providers will customize a plan to suit your needs. The more the number of users, the more bandwidth you will need. You have options ranging from speeds of 10 Mb/s to a whopping 100,000 Mb/s (10 Gb/s). Upgrade or top-up options are readily available if the need arises. Keep in mind that higher speeds or data limits will translate into higher fees.
Every contract and service is different. You should research the availability in your region and get quotes from service providers.
Final Words
Like almost everything in this world, you get what you pay for. You will have to go in for more than a typical low cost domestic broadband shared line if you need a reliable and fast connection for multiple systems in your office.
Consult your incumbent service operator or IT support service on all available options. Do not sign up for a long term contract without taking into account all available options.
From our experience, leased lines are the best way of getting a reliable and fast connection for businesses in Austin. You should seriously consider getting one if these are available in your area.
