Broadband internet access is ubiquitous to consumers, with about 80% of U.S. homes subscribing to broadband. In addition, many business owners sign up for standard broadband access, but not all internet connections are equal. We work with our clients to enable mission-critical business activity by identifying the optimal internet service to meet your specific business needs.
You Have a Choice
Generally speaking, you have a choice between two classifications of Internet access: broadband and Dedicated Internet Access (DIA). Let’s look at both options.
Broadband
Broadband access is shared internet access among customers of a telco or internet service provider. Broadband provides internet access via different types of technology, including fiber, wireless, cable, DSL and satellite.
In 2015, the FCC defined broadband as the transmission of data over a shared “high-speed” internet connection with a minimum 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds. Earlier this year, some U.S. senators have formally requested the FCC to increase the speeds to 100Mbps for downloads and uploads, but it’s unclear if or how quickly the FCC might respond.
Dedicated Internet Access (DIA)
DIA is a private, fixed-bandwidth fiber (or copper) connection that runs directly to a single location, i.e., your business. When you have a DIA, you essentially own your own bandwidth, and it will rarely (if ever) experience downtime. Speeds range up to multiple Gbps and beyond.
DIA Advantages
Reliability
The most significant benefit of DIA is high reliability, protecting your business from costly outages. DIA utilizes more stable technology and is protected with higher-level service agreements.
Performance
When your internet connection is not shared, you have full and constant access with maximum speeds. As noted above, broadband download and upload speeds can be different. This is called an asynchronous connection, and these speeds are not guaranteed. Conversely, DIA is synchronous with the same guaranteed speeds for both uploading and downloading.
Security
DIA improves your network security because you are not sharing your internet connection with anyone outside your organization. With DIA, you strengthen your overall cybersecurity and help insulate your network against breaches. When you have dedicated internet access, you can worry less about the threats from other networks.
Value
Whereas broadband provides a range of speeds without guaranteeing actual speeds, DIA ensures that you receive your purchased bandwidth. Plus, all of these advantages also improve employee productivity.
Delivering on DIA
In today’s digital world made up of eCommerce, video conferencing, 4K streaming and cloud computing and storage, DIA may be right for you. Our goal is to provide you with internet connectivity with low latency, high reliability and tight security to support your applications and sensitive data.
Reach out to us today if you would like to learn more or have us evaluate what type of service is right for you.
