Data is Life! A slogan of one of the most widely used internet service provider in Nigeria. Also, the internet is unarguably one of the most important utility for homes, businesses, individuals, schools and all other entities; therefore, Internet is indispensable!
In the business world, virtually everything requires internet access – from providing information repositories, customer relations, market intelligence, to sales and marketing. In other words, the internet is crucial to the existence of most businesses. Apart from businesses, virtually everybody now use internet for either one thing or the other. This article highlights the important factors to consider when choosing an internet service provider (ISP) for either your business goals or home use.
Availability
The first major factor to consider is whether the service provider is available in your locality or not. If the ISP does not service your area, then there is no point in choosing that ISP. In addition, no matter which technique is best suited to getting internet service (wired connection or wireless), the ISP has to be available in the location at which the internet service is needed.
Internet Speed
Next in line after availability of is how fast you can upload or download resources from the internet. According to Sandstorm IT, most customers use speed as their determining factor when selecting ISPs. This is in a bid to get the fastest internet available in their area.
Internet Bandwidth
To compare internet speed of different ISPs, customers use bandwidth. It is the maximum amount of data per unit time that a transmission medium can carry. However, the speed requirement of the customer determines whether a fiber optic connection is required or a DSL transmission. Also, the advertised speed is not always what you receive.
Cost
There should be a balance between the speed and price. Either for business or home use, the cost of getting internet service should be greatly considered. The cost of procuring a fiber optic connected internet service is highly expensive for someone running a small startup business but it may not be the case for large corporate entities who would be able to afford it. However, you have to weigh the pros and cons before subscribing.
Type of Connection
The type of connection has a great influence on the speed at which you browse the net. Satellite internet is notorious for seeming “slow”, despite having respectable download speeds (Sandstorm IT, 2020)
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
DSL makes use of telephone lines to transmit digital data. It uses a two wore technology which allows the connection to provide you with internet access without causing interference with the telephone line.
Entrepreneurship in a box explains that DSL is right for your business if you will be carrying out light to moderate web browsing, cloud backups, and file sharing. This connection can also support video conferencing and audio streaming and features fast download speeds.
Fiber Optic
Fiber optic connection is best suitable for heavy web activities. It supports bandwidth ranging from 10Mbps to 100Gbps; hence, it carries light signal over relatively long distances with low attenuation and distortion or the signal. It is highly immune to electromagnetic and radio frequency interferences. However, cost of implementation and required installation skill is high; hence, it is not affordable by small business owners.
Satellite Connection
In places where there is no access to DSL or Fiber optic cable, satellite connection is mostly used. The ISP in most times installs a dish which points to space. Anytime you make a request (opening a new page, download, sending an email, etc.), the dish sends the request to the satellite in space. This in turn forwards it to the dish at your ISP’s end. The ISP then sends a response to the satellite, the satellite also in turn forwards it to your dish. The modem then demodulates the response to your computer.
Reliability
One of the important factors to consider in choosing an ISP is reliability. An unreliable internet service is frustrating and stressful and can affect the productivity of the business. Most industries prefer going for an ISP the offers Service Level Agreement (SLA). SLA’s are service contracts that specifically state how reliable the connection should be.
Furthermore, Customer Service and Reliability are interwoven. You should ensure that the ISP must have a high response rate whenever issues arise.
Finally, your choice of ISP requires some trade offs and your decision is going to be an integral part of how good the connectivity of your home and/ business is. We at CPMS are always available to solve your networking and technology needs should in case you need any assistance. Contact us on +2348033384978