Compare Business Broadband Deals

Best Business Broadband Deals

Here are our top picks for business broadband providers in the USA now:

1. XLN
2. BT Internet
3. Virgin Media

About Business Broadband

You may not like delays or periods of low-quality Internet service in your personal life, but for business it’s more than that – it could mean a loss of valuable income, and can damage the reputation of your company. A more reliable, faster broadband service is worth a little more money.

Every company claims to be the best, and to have the best prices, but the reality is that every package on offer has a complex combination of features and pricing options that make it nearly impossible to browse through each company’s site and determine what it is you need. They may even offer comparisons to make it seem like you’re getting the best deal, but you can bet they aren’t posting deals that are better than theirs.

If you really need to know what’s on offer, and how much it costs, that’s where our comparisons come to the rescue.

Choosing the Best broadband for your business

A fast, reliable broadband service is among the most important features of a business today. It is the tool that enables a hundred other tools that your company needs: communications, research, customer support, accounting, and a dozen others unique to your industry. It’s more than that even, to a massive market of online customers, it houses the store, the products, and the marketing material that generate your income.

We’re so familiar with using broadband that it’s easy to over-simplify it. It’s easy to think that one is very much like another. In business though, every little edge counts, and whether it is technical support when you need it, that extra bandwidth for an online negotiation, or the monthly bottom line for the features you need, it is crucial that you have the service that best suits your company.

Speed isn’t the only factor here

Don’t be fooled by a company that claims to be the fastest, and therefore best product. Speed is important, but if there is an inadequate Service Level Agreement (SLA) in place, that promised speed could quickly turn to a crawl and result in depressed service, delays, and extra service fees. Don’t just get the fastest optimum speed, make sure the company you deal with is willing to back it up to the level you depend on. This can include data management, backup and recovery, email support and other services. Make sure they offer what you need, and that it is a professional-grade service.

Best Advice for buying your business broadband

Before you commit to a broadband provider, consider this ten-point checklist:

Perform a data usage audit

If you don’t have a good grasp of what your company needs, then you won’t be able to buy the best-suited product; you’ll be relying on the advice of the person selling you the service. Good for their business maybe, but not so good for yours.

If you need to do your homework to understand this process, then do it. If you’re too busy, or all of the jargon makes your head hurt, hire someone to do it. It will cost up front, but could save you a lot of time and money in the future.

Part of this should be making sure your hardware can handle the package you purchase. Is your LAN or WAN able to handle high speed broadband? There is no point in paying for more than your system can use.

Connect to the main tier 1 companies

Internet service providers (ISPs) are rated according to the type of setup they run. Tier 1 ISPs have their own portion of the Internet that they control, and this is what you want. The fewer companies between you and the people controlling the flow, the better. Tier 1 companies may be more expensive, but they provide a more reliable setup.

Aim for the best bandwidth

The maximum speed is part of the equation, but not all of it. Picture a Ferrari on a jam-packed freeway. It’s not going anywhere fast. Broadband can be like that too. The level of traffic compared to capacity is called the “utilization.” You want a company with a bandwidth utilization of 50% or less. Picture the Ferrari on a freeway with a few cars in the slow lane and a wide open stretch ahead. When you need the speed, you’ll have the room to use it.

Look at the service level agreements (SLAs)

Any company legitimately serving the needs of businesses should have a Service Level Agreement (SLA). The SLA is simple. It tells you what they are willing to do to support their product, when they are willing to do it, and how much (if any) extra it will cost.

Don’t take it as the bottom line, either. Consider it in light of your business needs and feel free to negotiate. Few companies will risk losing a business broadband client over a few service perks.

Try to go for cloud optimisation

Most companies are moving away from storing data on site. The cloud (a term that simply means a computer located somewhere else) provides a safe place to store data. It has its own backups to ensure nothing is lost, and you can access it from anywhere you have an Internet connection. You will probably have some on-site storage too though, and you’ll want your software to easily access your data – so make sure your broadband setup can work with both your cloud and on-site systems.

Look at remote storage and data services

Businesses are moving toward cloud-based data storage, remote workers, teleconferencing, and are using larger and more sophisticated software than ever before. Make sure your company doesn’t fall behind because of an inadequate broadband choice.