A Quick Guide To Internet Speed For Small Business Owners
Are you setting up your own business? Or do you already own a SME and you’re looking for a reliable internet solution? Whether you’re out of touch with technological developments or you’re simply unsure what type of internet speed will best suit your business, we’re here to help. The numbers and lexicon can be confusing, so we’ve put together a quick, non-technical guide of the basics of internet speed, to help you decide what is best for your small business.
Download & Upload Speeds
The majority of internet connections will have two different speeds – one for uploading and one for downloading. Downloading is where you are receiving files, whether that’s documents, photos, music or other types of files. Uploading on the other hand, is where you are sending these files across. Both download and upload speeds are measured in what’s known as ‘bits per second’, with each bit being a single piece of data that is very, very tiny. When it comes to bits per second, we are normally referencing to thousands of bits. The more bits per second an internet speed has, the faster the internet will be.
Another term that is used when talking about internet is bandwidth. Bandwidth shows the amount of data that your internet can move at a single time, so you know how many downloads and uploads you can do at once. The higher the bandwidth your internet connection has, the less time you have to wait when you are uploading and downloading. Normally, bandwidth will go hand in hand with bits per second. The way an Internet Service Provider (ISP) might show their internet speeds will be ‘up to 5/1Mbps’. The first number ‘5’ is the download speed of bits per second, and the ‘1’ is the upload speed. Using a 5/1 internet connection means you can download a 25-megabyte file in around 40 seconds, or upload the file in around three minutes.
Factors That Affect Internet Speed
Your internet speed, both uploads and downloads, will ultimately depend on a number of factors. Firstly, it will depend on your computer and laptop itself, the distance from your ISP and also the kind of connection you are using. There are three common types of internet connection, with older methods including copper or coaxial cables, and fiber-based connections. Another factor is how many people within your business are uploading or downloading the files at one time. This will place a lot of demand on your internet connection and can really slow down the process.
In addition to this, if you have chosen a broadband connection, then you may experience a lot of contention during peak periods will all of the other businesses that are using your connection. If you rely on a fast, reliable internet connection in order to run your business, you may want to consider switching to a leased line internet connection. Leased line speeds are significantly different to those from a standard broadband package. As your business grows, you can be sure that your internet speed needs will develop, and a fast connection that is also reliable, that is adaptable to different devices, will help you to have a competitive edge over your market.
You can test the speed of your leased line with our free leased line speed test here at 2Connect. For more information on how a leased line could benefit your business, get in touch with our expert team today.
