With more positions offering remote working options, a reliable internet connection has become an ever-increasing need for many professionals and business owners.
Most people will have noticed that the internet connection in their office is often much faster and more stable than their home connection, and you may have wondered if you can get the same type of connection at home.
So can you get a business broadband connection at home?
Can I Get Business Broadband At Home?
The short answer is yes, you can get business broadband at home, however, it’s important to understand your network needs before deciding whether it’s the right option for you.
If you’re simply working from home a few days a week then you likely don’t need a business broadband connection, and a faster home broadband service may be enough to keep you connected.
If you’re planning on having employees working from your home, or your work involves a lot of file transfers, data processing and video calls then a business broadband connection could be a good option.
What’s The Difference Between Consumer Broadband And Business Broadband?
There is one big difference between consumer broadband and business broadband – performance.
But that doesn’t just mean speed.
Businesses need a higher level of reliability and performance than what is offered in regular consumer broadband plans.
A business broadband connection has a wider tolerance for the number of users on the network, while also offering higher upload and download speeds than a residential broadband connection.
Business broadband providers also typically offer better customer support and service time for business customers, and you’re much more likely to be getting the speeds that you’re paying for.
How Does Business Broadband Work?
Business broadband is a term used to describe high-speed Internet access that is designed for business use, but it actually (except for leased lines) uses the same infrastructure and wires as home broadband.
Business broadband works partly by giving businesses a lower rate of contention and a higher level of support when things go wrong.
Broadband contention becomes important when there are too many people using the same internet connection or network in an area. A 1:1 ratio is known as a dedicated, private or leased line. Services such as GPON offer 1:5 but Broadband can be as high as 1:100.
We could write a whole blog on contended broadband, but the key point is that residential broadband generally has a high contention/competition locally, which means at peak times, the bandwidth you are paying for is almost certainly not what you get.
This can lead to slow speeds or even time-outs.
Not good for streaming Disney+ but terminal for work.
When things do go wrong with business broadband, because they have different service level agreements, there is usually a higher level of support from the service provider. This means that businesses can get back up and running as quickly as possible.
Business broadband speeds are also generally much faster than home broadband. This is because businesses need to be able to transfer large amounts of data quickly and efficiently.
So, if you are looking for an internet connection that is designed specifically for businesses, then business broadband is the first step in the right direction. It offers higher speeds, reliability, and support when things go wrong and lower contention ratios at peak residential times.
Do I Need Business Broadband?
Suppose you plan on doing any business from home that requires you to get online.
In that case, you’ll need a reliable business broadband connection and in the modern world, upload speeds are becoming more critical than ever.
It’s true that without a fast and reliable internet connection, your business could suffer.
Customers will be unable to contact you via email, and you could miss out on potential sales, but too much emphasis can be put on downloading content when in business we often upload.
Downloads are the focus of a residential provider’s marketing material, tag lines such as “downloads of up to …….” and “our fastest download speeds ever!” but often minimal emphasis is placed on uploads when looking at residential services.
Consumers download, businesses generally do both, and if you are a graphic designer or in some kind of production you are probably uploading more data than you pull down.
A video call sends equal signals both ways, so at a busy time or with slower speeds, say 50/10 or even 24/4, you can imagine why we experience one-way audio on occasion.
You’ve almost certainly experienced an “I can hear you can you hear me?” moment, and that’s usually because the upload speed on your home broadband is slow or congested.
So if you run a business that relies on uploading as much as downloading, looking for a broadband speed with a better ratio is key.
Better still, synchronous (leased lines) are the only solution for many.
If you manage IT for your company, your users may not be able to connect to your servers without a virtual private network (VPN), this adds management and costs that can quickly get out of control.
Then there are cyber security concerns – having all these unmanaged remote connections can be a worry.
Accessing the Internet is a crucial part of using applications that are in the cloud, which dominate today’s business world.
So if you want to be successful, make sure that your home broadband or that of your users and key people can handle the demands of their online activity!
You can ask questions like:
- What will happen to my business if my home connections go offline?
- How much would an hour’s worth of downtime cost in lost sales/productivity?
- How long does my provider say they will take to reply to support requests to a residential line?
- What support level do I have, and will I get technical assistance during my opening hours?
- Can I centralise multiple accounts and connections in one place and even on one bill?
- What security concerns might there be if someone else was on my network and could access my work computer remotely?
Are you happy that your home network provides these business-centric requirements?
Why Is Business Broadband More Expensive Than Home Broadband?
Well, for starters, a business customer will have higher capacity needs than regular users.
Even a small business will have several users uploading and downloading files simultaneously, and business broadband packages are designed with this in mind.
They’ll also typically feature things like unlimited data, faster speeds, and more technical support than a home broadband connection.
In addition, businesses often need to be online 24/7, which means they need a more reliable connection than a standard residential broadband connection.
Finally, businesses usually require extra features like having a static IP address and virtual private network (VPN) support.
Can You Get Business Broadband If You’re Running A Business From Home?
Yes, you can get a business broadband connection at home if you want to get a business broadband connection at home.
There are plenty of providers that offer business broadband packages, so you should be able to find one that fits your needs.
It’s worth doing your research and finding the best business broadband deals for your needs. Comparing the different upload and download speeds are crucial to making the decision between lots of options.
Which Business Broadband Provider Is Best?
Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to selecting a business broadband provider.
The levels of service, pricing, and connection speeds on offer can vary from provider to provider.
Here at boxx we work with a range of different suppliers, including household names like BT Business Broadband and Virgin Media, to find the best business broadband deals for you.
If you are serious about running a business from your home then it’s important that you have the right infrastructure in place, and finding the right business broadband provider is key.
Whether that means having a business broadband connection as an additional line for your family or as your one and only high-bandwidth option, our team of experts at boxx and we can help you make the right decision for your needs.
