If you look back over the last few years, I bet you’ll be surprised just how much (and how quickly!) your business has changed. Most likely, your operations have grown beyond the normal run of things into newer territories, like the juggling of hybrid and remote working, or new tools and platforms, and there’s been a significant escalation in your business demands.
Have you also noticed your internet is now struggling to keep up with you?
I’m talking connectivity problems, drop-outs, slowdowns and generally not cutting it as one of the primary tools of your business. Maybe you see it in your staff’s unwillingness to come into the office? And their frustration when they do?
The good news is, you’re not alone. Businesses feeling the economic pinch often go looking for cheaper internet alternatives, which usually means turning to (or sticking with) a residential internet connection. But that could just be adding to the problem and pinching where it hurts more: revenue.
Difference between business and home internet
This isn’t to say there’s a ‘bad’ kind of internet connection – both residential and business connections have their strengths. The trick is picking the one that works best for you. So, let’s take a little time to unpack the different performance features of each type, including:
This breakdown will be invaluable in helping you pick the right type of connection for your needs – business internet or home internet – but you’ll also see why business internet has the word ‘business’ in the title.
Speed tier options
There’s a lot of talk about speed in internet connectivity plans and how decent speeds can be had for relatively low prices. Options like speed boosts can be especially helpful, for those who don’t often need the highest speeds but can get more grunt if, and when, they need it. That makes total sense for households, but businesses are another story.
Roughly, an internet speed of around 100Mbps is comfortable for someone who’s working from home doing emails, video calls, working off a variety of digital platforms and streaming media. However, I need to point out a subtle but important difference – 100Mbps may not be suitable if you’re running a business from home, and more likely not suitable for a customer-facing or headquartered or geographically dispersed business with heavy internet usage.
Today’s average business needs speeds of up to 200Mbps, especially if that business relies on online payments or cloud platforms. And speeds of that kind are the ones that come with nbn business plans.
Data caps
Generally speaking, data capping, which was once a big consideration, is now a thing of the past. However, there are still plans around that are low in price because they have restrictions around the data you can upload and download. These details are often buried in the fine print, so make sure to review any contracts very carefully.
You’ll find internet plans like these are usually residential ones and, while they’re less common these days, I’d suggest keeping your eyes open for them, just in case. (Fun fact: Superloop’s residential nbn plans don’t have data caps either.)
nbn plans with unlimited data
Dynamic vs. static IP addresses
By definition, an IP address is a string of characters that acts like your computer’s own fingerprint. It means each computer using internet protocol (IP) to communicate over a network can be identified.
The default setting for IP addresses is dynamic, which means your IP address keeps changing, or it’s not reserved for you or your business. Dynamic is the default option because it doesn’t require configuration by your internet provider, which makes it easier to set up. This is what you get with home internet connections.
Without getting too deep into the technical weeds, a static IP address is attractive – and sometimes necessary – for businesses because it allows you to host you own servers, provide VPN or remote access to these servers, enhance geo-location services and upgrade DNS support. So, static IP addresses are great for businesses because they grant you more control over your connectivity and what you can do on your network.
In fact, I’d go as far as saying, being able to obtain a static IP address is one of the big selling points of business internet connections to business customers.
Symmetrical vs. asymmetrical
Another big selling point of business internet connections – symmetrical uploads and downloads. It also happens to be my favourite topics, so it’ll be hard for me to keep it short, but I'll do my best!
A symmetrical internet plan is when your upload speed and download speed are the same. It’s a key feature of internet connection plans, especially business ones, that you should be looking for.
On the other hand, asymmetrical connections are as they sound – differing upload to download speeds. It’s usually your upload speed that lags behind (e.g. you might have a home cable connection with 100Mbps for downloads, 10Mbps or less for uploads).
If you’re sharing large files online, or a lot of people are connected to your network, or your organisation relies on cloud platforms – and who doesn’t fall into one of these categories? – then going symmetrical is a non-negotiable. You’ll find that your internet performance steps up drastically just by having a symmetrical connection.
Usually residential internet plans are asymmetrical because household users' activities require more download speed than upload speed. Moreover, it makes the residential internet plans cost effective. In addition to this, asymmetrical speed can be delivered using FTTC or FTTN or HFC connection while symmetrical speed can be delivered through a FTTP connection. Internet service providers also offer asymmetrical plans to businesses. However, those plans are designed for small businesses for cost effectiveness.
Superloop's enterprise ethernet plans (also known as Probiz) offer symmetrical speed upto 2Gbps.
Superloop nbn Enterprise Ethernet
Service and support
Any internet service provider worth their salt will do whatever they can to reduce the time it
takes to answer your questions or attend to your problems and get you back online – that goes for residential internet plans, as well as business ones. But, given the high stakes game you’re playing with your business internet connection, it’s fair to expect a business plan to go that little bit further in terms of service and support.
Just think about how frustrating it can be at high-volume call times when you’re waiting on the phone for someone to help you. If you’re running a business, that frustration is only amplified because it’s time you simply can’t afford to be wasting.
`I can’t speak for all business internet providers, but I’d say the higher prioritised level of service and support is an inclusion of business internet plans that you wouldn’t get otherwise. You need to be looking for things like having a dedicated account manager, which is something that isn’t even an option with home accounts. This kind of one-on-one service is a real gamechanger for business customers because it means getting swift attention without having to repeat yourself or explain the nature of your business over and over (and over) again.
Another feature of business internet accounts is prioritised queue support, either through a special business support line or by jumping to the head of the queue so you’re never having to wait more than a few minutes. It’s all part of the service that means, if things go wrong, it doesn’t turn into a massive drama.
In a nutshell
When it comes down to it, the one genuine advantage of a home internet plan is lower cost. Of course, sticker price isn’t everything. Cost is just one part of the picture, so make sure you have all the information you need, especially about performance, before making a decision.
Quite simply, home internet plans cost less because they give you less, and – for today’s internet-dependent businesses – they may not be enough. Having a dedicated account manager as part of a business internet plan is one of the benefits that may seem throwaway at first, but you’ll really appreciate across the life of your plan.
The way we all do business has permanently changed. And that’s okay! A business that evolves is a business that’s thrives. But with that evolution come a different set of needs, which deserve to be supported by an internet connection that cuts the mustard.
FAQs
Is business internet cheaper than residential internet?
The answer is no. The business internet is more expensive that residential internet. The business internet comes with some extra features such as static IP address, Service Level Agrements (SLAs), Specialised infrastructure and priority support. Moreover, Fibre business internet is eligible for symmetrical internet conection which is not possible to get with home internet connection.
Can I get business internet at home?
Yes. You can get business internet at home but you need to provide an ABN number when you opt-in for one of business plans.
