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How to Choose the Right Business Internet Tier

Tailor Your Business Internet Package to Match Your Budget, Staff and Goals

As a business leader, your day is filled with important documents and decisions. Promotions, services, reports, budgets and infrastructure: who and what will help my business function more efficiently and when and how can we implement the proper solutions? Particularly for IT staffers, updates are always top of mind to keep up with rapidly developing technologies and solutions. Even something that seems simple, such as choosing an Internet service provider, has far reaching implications for productivity, security and your ability to keep customers happy. Beyond picking the right partner to help with your Internet is an equally important choice: choosing the right business Internet tier.

“But aren’t they all the same?” the C suite might ask. As IT professionals know, not all Internet tiers are created equal. A multitude of service levels exist to meet a variety of needs based on your company’s size, network, employees and goals. Choosing the right Internet tier and providers ensures you get the level of reliability and access you need without overpaying.

Let’s look at a few examples of common business models that may require vastly different levels of Internet access.

Unique Business Needs

  • Small and Simplified
    • Office Type: A real estate office with 15 staff members
    • Needs: A handful of employees need reliable Internet access to keep track of client information, scheduling and appointments. Due to the low number of Internet users, the possibility of overloading the system is unlikely, and tasks don’t require a lot of bandwidth.
  • Mid-Sized Business
    • Office Type: The business office of a manufacturing facility with 50–200 staff members
    • Needs: Throughout the day, employees will browse the Internet to conduct research, access the company’s inventory system and message other team members via chat.
  • Large Business
    • Institution Type: A high school with 1,200 students and more than 300 devices regularly accessing the internet at one time
    • Needs: In one room, students use their iPads to conduct research for a journalism project, and downstairs the computer lab is full of study hall students checking their email, browsing the web and accessing Internet-reliant programs. With so many devices online at one time, bandwidth is critical.
  • Sensitive Data Keepers
    • Office Type: A financial institution responsible for a plethora of sensitive data
    • Needs: In addition to low latency, the bank requires a trusted Internet provider that can ensure customer data will remain safe on the bank’s proprietary systems, preferably with a dedicated security program built in. 
  • 24/7 Support Center
    • Office Type: A call center with 100+ agents handling customer service inquiries
    • Needs: This type of office requires reliability. Without fail-proof connectivity, none of the agents can handle their work and in the case of a service outage, the office will be rendered unproductive until the Internet can be restored. Only the most dependable Internet will do.

DQE Internet Solutions

DQE offers custom network solutions that grow with your business and are designed differently to meet a wide variety of needs. Our fiber optic network was created with redundancy and security in mind with a custom-built, self-healing, dual-core ring architecture to maximize reliability and minimize downtime. With five tiers of Internet, we have a customizable solution for all businesses.

  • Internet Lite ($): With flat rate pricing, Internet Lite is the perfect no-fuss, budget-friendly option for the amount of Internet access the employees need. The real estate office in the first example above is a prime candidate for Internet Lite for these reasons. Other offices that need similar levels of access and reliability include small businesses, retail and restaurant establishments and any organization with limited staff members looking to complete typical day-to-day office tasks.
  • Basic Internet Access ($$): Businesses with less complex Internet access needs can turn to our basic Internet solution to power through day-to-day tasks, such as the mid-sized manufacturing office mentioned above. Best for businesses that don’t have complicated security, program or dependability needs, basic Internet is a cost-effective way to ensure reliable Internet.
  • Dedicated Internet Access ($$$): When dependability matters, like in the case of the large high school that requires students to access applications on a set schedule, Dedicated Internet Access is the right choice. In addition to schools, it is ideal for businesses with a strong reliance on Internet access in order to meet business goals, such as a digital marketing firm or software company.
  • Internet Advantage ($$$): Network engineers can rest easy knowing that this multiple-benefit solution is doing double duty by providing DQE’s Dedicated Internet with built-in DDoS Mitigation, which is ideal for organizations that rely on dependable Internet access paired with advanced DDoS detection, such as the bank mentioned above. Internet Advantage ensures sensitive data stays safe and workers can access the information they need with less downtime.
  • Highly Available Internet Access ($$$$): This is the choice for businesses to turn to if they require mission-critical reliability, such as a call center that would be rendered useless if the Internet or phone lines went down. Redundancy, max bandwidth and unmatched dependability are hallmarks of this Internet tier to help Internet-reliant enterprises rest assured they have the level of access they desire.

*Please note: Pricing depends on Internet tier chosen and specific customization Contact DQE for a quote.

It’s Your Turn

Take the guesswork out of choosing Internet for your business with our handy graphic. Who knew choosing an Internet tier could be so fun?

Internet Tier Blog Infographic

Ready to start talking about your Internet needs? Contact us now.

RELATED: The Complete Guide to Choosing a Business Internet Provider

Tags: business internet, dedicated internet