As more and more services migrate to the cloud, so does the need for increased bandwidth. The speed and quality can (and do) vary by provider. Understanding how your internet bandwidth is provided will not only help you make better buying decisions, but will also help educate on the value versus commodity of bandwidth.
Not all internet access service is created equally. There are two main types of internet access: broadband and dedicated access.
Business Class Broadband – Primarily Cable, DSL, and Satellite.
Broadband services for businesses vary slightly in that they are only for business customers.Speeds are still asynchronous, but you’ll see faster speed offerings for businesses.
Dedicated Internet Access - Primarily Fiber and Metro Ethernet.
Available to business customers. Speeds are synchronous, which means that you’ll receive the same rate of speed for both upload and download. A 100 Mbps Metro Ethernet connection delivers 100 Mbps in both directions.The service is guaranteed and will be covered by a service level agreement. It is dedicated to you and only you. Think of it as a direct connection between your business and the service provider.
Companies must make sure they have enough bandwidth for all employees to operate on a day to day basis, so understanding how their business uses the Internet is paramount in deciding whether or not a broadband or dedicated access service is preferable. Broadband internet service is fast and cheap, but not guaranteed. If your company is working on web-based applications like CRM and accounting software, ask yourself what happens if the broadband connection goes down for a day or two? Is the risk worth the savings?
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