When was the last time you checked whether your internet plan is still adequate for your business?

 

The past few years have brought about so many changes to the business world—from video conferencing becoming an everyday activity to digital transformation becoming a top priority. Business owners who haven’t recently evaluated whether their internet plan is the right “size” for their needs may find themselves dealing with costly issues, such as meeting interruptions and slowdowns when accessing important files and data.

 

Spectrum Business recently increased the speed of its lowest-tier internet plan to 300 megabits per second (Mbps)—while keeping the same low price. That means businesses are getting more value, while continuing to have access to some of the highest-speed business plans available on the market today.

 

It’s a good idea to periodically review whether your current plan is still meeting your needs. (If you don’t know your current internet speed, you can test it here.) Spectrum Business offers plans spanning from 300 Mpbs all the way up to gig speed for businesses with the greatest speed needs.  

 

Here are three common reasons to consider whether your business needs to upgrade its internet: 

 

  1. You’re relying more and more on internet-based applications.

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) usage has boomed over the past few years, with research from Better Cloud showing that the average small business uses16 different SaaS applications. Cloud-based applications use various amounts of internet bandwidth depending on what they do, but remember that many of those applications are “always on”—running in the background so you and your team has continuous access to them.

 

For example, one instant messaging or project management application may only require 2 or 3 Mbps on its own, but when you and your employees are running multiple applications simultaneously, your total bandwidth requirements can easily grow beyond 200 Mbps.  If mobile phones are connected via WiFi, that usage consumes bandwidth, too.

 

Add on to that video conferencing, streaming music while you work and other bandwidth-intense activities, and you may experience slowdowns.

 

  1. You’re using video regularly.

Video streaming is one of the most bandwidth-intensive activities many businesses have. If your business now relies heavily on video for marketing or you conduct lots of video conference calls—especially with more than a couple of participants—it’s worth checking whether your internet plan still supports your needs.

 

  1. Your business is growing—and transforming

From shifting to ecommerce sales to embracing the internet of things and other tech-driven strategies, many small businesses are relying on technology more than ever. Every new device you connect to the internet saps bandwidth.

 

Moreover, as your business grows and adds more employees who occasionally or regularly use your internet, you will be tapping your bandwidth even more. As you grow your staff, it’s always a good idea to check whether your internet plan can support them.

 

Want to find out whether your internet plan is still sufficient for your needs? Contact us at  855-299-9353.

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