High-speed internet is the linchpin of every business, be it small or huge, in today’s hypercompetitive world. An organization’s internet speed can have a direct impact on its operations, employee morale, communications, customer service, and overall business performance.
In a survey of 2,000 employees, 48% of respondents blamed slow internet speeds and connectivity issues for lack of productivity. The loss of productivity and performance has prompted businesses and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to race for a robust connectivity solution. And that race has come to a conclusion with the advent of fiber-optic internet broadband.
There are 1,400+ fiber internet providers in the US. The majority of fiber ISPs such as MetroNet, Windstream, and Optimum by Altice, have quite a limited coverage. Whereas, the big shots like AT&T Fiber, Spectrum Enterprise, EarthLink Fiber, CenturyLink, and Frontier can boast wider coverage. The good news for businesses is that most of these providers only deliver this blazing fast internet service to small businesses and large organizations; only a few like AT&T Fiber are making fiber-fast internet common to both, residents and businesses. See AT&T Internet-only plans to know how affordable they are.
Though a bit expensive than other connectivity avenues, fiber-optic connectivity can uplift your employee morale, improve customer service and collaboration, and boost productivity and profits.
There’s more to know about this fast-growing evolutionary technology, which can run your company’s operations like a well-oiled machine.
How Fast Internet Speeds Can Impact Your Business Goals
If you want to elevate your business’s connectivity, and ultimately business performance, you need to understand available internet speeds and their capabilities.
The most common and older broadband types like DSL and cable usually deliver internet speeds between 10 to 25 Mbps. However, more ISPs are integrating their old broadband networks with the latest fiber-optic technology, which skyrockets download speeds up to 940 Mbps. Sadly, this hybrid broadband type doesn’t improve upload speeds at all, which are essential for video conferencing and huge cloud data backups.
Only pure fiber-optic broadband networks can deliver symmetrical i.e. same upload and download speeds. With fiber-to-business services, you can easily get a speed range of 100-300 Mbps, and some ISPs even push it to a whopping 1,000 Mbps. All the while, your upload speeds equal the download speeds. Yes, 1,000 Mbps upload speeds are a reality now.
These hyper-fast internet speeds make up for instant downloads and uploads of large files and speedy web-applications, which allows businesses to run important online resources like video conferencing applications, multiple software as a service (SaaS), and IP telephony at the same time with zero lag in connectivity.
The superbly fast internet opens up the portal to myriad possibilities in an organization and provides more room for workplace collaborations. Employees can communicate with each other any time from any corner of the world while running data-hungry applications. Simultaneously, fast internet can improve a customer-facing aspect of a business.
High-speed internet ensures the speedy download of data and images from your server. This affects the page-load time for your website, which is a vital factor in boosting sales and search engine rankings. Multiple surveys have concluded that if a page takes longer than 3 seconds to load, a website loses around 53% of its mobile users. This can make for some serious company goal achievements.
Simultaneously, fast internet has ensured the popularity of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) movement, which allows the use of mobile devices to perform business tasks.
In 2018, AccessData and Corporate Counsel Business Journal (CCBJ) found in a survey that around 70% of organizations employed a BYOD-friendly policy. The number was expected to jump by 10% during the upcoming years.
However, there is a severe drawback to this trend. In the case of devices exceeding a company’s network capacity, a business can experience severe network lag. Hardcore applications like ERP systems and P2P file-sharing can exacerbate the problem. Moreover, BYOD can exhaust a company’s security measures.
Tackling the Problem of Slow Internet
Today, every business has an online presence, both on the front-end and back-end, which has given rise to complex online business tools. These tools usually work with large quantities of data and for these to work properly, businesses need a specific amount of bandwidth.
Storing, processing, and securing this data, especially in a cloud environment can considerably slow down your business if it is not equipped with an adequate bandwidth. However, fiber-fast internet comes with higher bandwidth, which ensures quick cloud applications performance. This is a key factor in productivity growth for businesses across the globe.
Unfortunately, employees lose around more than two weeks every year, not for holidays but the time is wasted in getting their computer networks to work. This fear of loss has spurred businesses to embrace fiber-fast connectivity for their businesses.
In 2004, only 10.9% of commercial businesses had fiber internet connectivity. In 2014, the number quadrupled to 42.5%. Today, fiber-optic broadband makes up for the majority of the US internet backbone infrastructure. It is widely known that businesses with fast internet can survive the cutthroat futuristic race.
Fast Internet is Essential for Certain Industries
Hyper-fast internet is acknowledged as a key growth factor for most businesses. However, most businesses have a choice to go for connectivity or not. But for some businesses, it is an essential factor, without which its growth will crash and burn.
Call centers that rely mostly on VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) to provide continuous phone support to companies and adequately cater to customer calls. Chat centers that provide chat-based online support require a reliable internet connection.
Trading companies and Day Traders are highly dependent on the internet to maintain a competitive edge. A fraction of a second can have a gigantic impact on investors.
E-commerce businesses wholly rely on the internet to operate. A minuscule factor such as a high page-load time can induce a customer to leave the shopping cart in the mid.
Service firms like web development, design firms, IT security, and web hosting companies are reliant on internet connectivity for every aspect of their business, from communications and marketing to development and collaborations.
Fast internet ensures that these businesses can beat their deadlines, cater to customers quickly, and run their operations efficiently and effectively.
How to Tap into Fast Internet
To make the most of fast internet for your business, you must acquire a reliable fiber internet provider. There are many fiber ISPs available but they are limited by their coverage area. Very few like AT&T stretch their fiber network far and wide. To determine the provider’s availability in your area, it’s important to communicate with a professional on ISPs. They can answer any of your questions on choosing the best fiber ISP for the installation process.
Baldwin Jackson is a successful digital marketer with expertise in search engine optimization and content marketing. The perfect balance of his analytical ability and creative thinking is what sets him apart from other practitioners in the digital marketing realm. He has helped a lot of small and medium-sized businesses in crafting their digital marketing strategies that are not only cost-effective but delivers results as well.
Baldwin is also a proud father of two kids and a Sports enthusiast. When he is not working, you will find him watching ESPN and NFL network. He has been able to get an amazing package on his favorite channels from Buytvinternetphone.com.
