The Best Internet for Your Small Business: A Detailed Ranking
Business Services Connect
Small businesses represent 99.9% of all businesses in the U.S. — most of which require a solid Internet connection to conduct their business. From web browsing and email to cloud-based services, AI integration, and collaboration tools, your success in the business world hinges on high-speed Internet access.
That said, choosing the right type of business Internet isn’t always easy or clear. Below, we’ll rank the different types of Internet connections, including strengths, weaknesses, and considerations so you can determine the best fit for your business needs. Let’s break it down.
Find Your Business Providers.
Understanding Our Ranking Methodology:
What Matters Most to Small Businesses
What Matters Most to Small Businesses
Before we dive into rankings, here are a few of the factors we’ve considered when ranking the different broadband services available for small businesses:
Download & Upload Speeds:
Faster download speeds leads to faster website loading, data access, file transfers, and more. In a similar way, fast upload speeds are necessary for sharing large files, backing up data, and hosting video conferences.
A reliable Internet connection is a must. That’s because outages can disrupt business operations, frustrate customers, and cost a ton of money.
Ensure your Internet plan can meet your business needs now and in the future. You should be able to upgrade your plan (i.e., increase bandwidth and speed) without switching providers.
Most small businesses operate on thin margins. As such, it’s essential to find an Internet plan that offers the right balance between cost and performance.
Find Your Business Providers.
What Types Of Internet Connections Are Best for Your Small Business?
Fiber-Optic Internet
While fiber is typically referred to as the undisputed king of high-speed Internet connections, it’s generally ideal for large-infrastructure companies such as financial institutions, healthcare networks, and school systems. It also provides an opportunity to offer big city access to small rural areas (where available). It works by using fiber-optic cables to transmit data via pulses of light. This leads to unmatched speeds (reaching hundreds of megabits to gigabits per second), incredibly low latency, and outstanding reliability – but at a cost. We will make sure to connect you with the best provider in your area who can ensure you have the right services to fit your needs.
- Average Download Speed Range: 250-1,000 Mbps
- Ideal For: Network heavy businesses, particularly those that require multiple network locations and high-bandwidth activities like video editing, large-scale cloud storage, real-time online collaboration, and/or handling high customer traffic online.
- Points to Consider: Compared to other options and depending on your location, it has limited accessibility, usually incurs higher installation costs, and may be more than your business needs. Plus, it’s not always available in rural areas.
Broadband Internet
If you still require faster speeds, but don't need to transfer data at the speed of light, broadband is one of the most reliable and widely used types of business connectivity. It uses the same pairing of fiber-optic lines and coaxial cables that delivers signals to your TV sets, making setup easy, accessible, and reliable.
- Average Download Speed Range: 10-500 Mbps
- Ideal For: Businesses that need to strike the perfect balance between speed, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. Broadband Internet is typically better for those in urban or suburban areas with a highly concentrated fiber/cable network.
Points to Consider: Depending on your business Internet service provider and location, your speeds may fluctuate when usage times peak.
Fixed Wireless Internet
While it’s not ideal for most small businesses, it can be great when other options are scarce. Since it transmits data from nearby towers via radio waves, you don’t have to worry about physical cables. However, there are a few drawbacks.
Average Download Speed Range: 100-400 Mbps
- Ideal For: Businesses in rural or remote areas without wired broadband options, offering a viable alternative to traditional services.
Points to Consider: Susceptible to weather disruptions and might not match the consistency or maximum speeds of wired connections.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
It’s not the dial-up Internet of old, but it still uses telephone lines to deliver Internet to your modem. Generally, it provides slower Internet speeds, but can be suitable for businesses that don’t require much bandwidth for conducting business activities.
Average Download Speed Range: 1-10 Mbps
Ideal For: Small businesses in rural areas where there aren’t many (if any) other choices. Best for basic Internet activities like email, casual web browsing, and minimal file sharing.
Points to Consider: Doesn’t handle high-bandwidth activities well. That includes video calls, cloud applications, large data transfers, streaming, and more.
Satellite Internet
Some companies have made major advances in satellite Internet. While it’s available practically everywhere, there are a few potential disadvantages your business should consider:
Average Download Speed Range: 25-150 Mbps
Ideal For: Companies located in extremely remote locations who have no other options.
Points to Consider: Satellite Internet has the highest latency among all connection types. That makes voice calls, video conferencing, and any latency-sensitive activity challenging. Further, it’s generally more expensive and typically includes monthly usage restrictions
How to Choose The Best Internet Service Provider (ISP) For Your Business
Picking the right connection type is just half the battle. There are a few other important considerations when deciding on the best ISP for your small business’ Internet needs, including:
- Service availability
- Estimated speeds & bandwidth
- Service level agreements (SLAs)
- Customer support excellence
- Cost vs. value
- Cybersecurity and data backup solutions
- Bundling options
- Dedicated Internet availability
- Ability to grow with your business
There’s no one “best” Internet connection for every company. What’s best for your business depends on where it’s located, how much it requires high-speed Internet, your budget, and more.
At the end of the day, investing in the right Internet connection that fits your needs will not only benefit your business today, but it will help it grow tomorrow.
How Business Services Connect Can Help
No matter what type of Internet you need, we’re here to help. Whether you're a single location or have multiple locations across regions, Business Services Connect will connect you to the top business Internet providers available based on your address.