The bandwidth that your business needs depends on several factors, such as how many employees you have and what types of software you use. A company that processes a lot of information or edits HD videos will probably need more bandwidth than a company that works with smaller files.
The number of devices that your company owns should also influence the bandwidth that you choose. A company with 25 devices might get what it needs from a 75 Mbps bandwidth. A company with 200 devices, though, probably needs a bandwidth closer to 3000 Mbps.
Before you start exploring your bandwidth options, you should learn more about how your business can benefit from a larger bandwidth. You may discover that spending a little more money for a faster option pays for itself.
A larger bandwidth makes collaboration easier
The easier your team members can collaborate with each other, the sooner they can complete projects without making mistakes. Numerous companies already make collaboration tools. As you explore your options, you’ll discover that many of them require a fairly large bandwidth. The exact bandwidth, of course, depends on how many users you expect and the types of files that you use.
Ideally, your office should have a fiber internet connection that makes communication faster. Some fiber internet providers can give you speeds up to 100 gigabits per second. That’s enough power to download a two-hour movie within 25 seconds.
When your employees have access to faster speeds, they can use the latest collaboration tools without experiencing delays. You will have to spend more money on fiber internet service, but the higher efficiency will give you a strong return on your investment.
A small bandwidth can limit your business processes
Business processes form the core of your company. The more efficient you make each task, the faster your processes will work. That means you can give your clients more services and products without hiring more employees.
People will try all types of methods to improve internet speeds. Getting closer to a Wi-Fi router, for instance, will make it easier for your computer to perform tasks. Realistically, you can’t expect a piecemeal approach to give you long-term results. You need to choose the right type of internet for your business.
As you automate more tasks, you will need a higher bandwidth for your processes. If you skimp on this area of technology, your business will suffer.
More bandwidth can prevent crashes
When your network gets overloaded with requests, it will slow down to process the tasks in order. Eventually, though, overloading the network will make it crash. Then, you have to spend time rebooting the system.
Even worse, you know that it’s just a matter of time before your network crashes, again.
Fiber internet makes your system more reliable by increasing its bandwidth and giving it the ability to process more requests. It will also help improve employee morale.
When a slow or failing network makes it difficult for employees to do their jobs, they often become frustrated. Eventually, frustration will erode the group’s morale. When that happens, your most talented employees will find new jobs, leaving you with under-productive workers who often don’t care about quality.
A better bandwidth improves website functionality
Today’s businesses rely on websites to communicate with customers and provide services. As internet speeds have increased around the world, consumers have grown accustomed to websites that load instantly. Literally, every second counts when your website loads.
25% of people will abandon a page that doesn’t load within 4 seconds. By improving your bandwidth, you can attract and retain more customers, which means your business will make more money.
Your bandwidth affects productivity
Your IT infrastructure’s speed directly correlates to your company’s productivity. As employees get to work, they put a strain on the network. The amount of data sent across your network grows rapidly depending on what tasks your employees need to finish.
Some tasks only require small amounts of information. Basic email and web surfing for a small business only requires about 2 Mbps. If you have a large staff, though, you will use more data.
When your team members need to download HD videos or edit large files, though, they will probably experience interruptions with download speeds slower than 10 or 12 Mbps.
A larger bandwidth gives your business room to grow
Technology will become increasingly crucial to business success. Investing in a larger bandwidth now will make it easier to adopt new technologies quickly. Although it’s impossible to predict the exact trajectory of technology’s evolution, you can expect videos, collaboration tools, conferencing software and other tools to require more bandwidth.
Fiber internet providers will also help your business scale as your business grows. For example, if you experience a spike around the holidays, fiber internet will let you keep up with the sudden growth.
If your current bandwidth doesn’t meet your business needs, then you need to start exploring your options. Most companies decide that they can only get the bandwidth that they need from providers with fiber internet connections. Your business, however, has unique needs, so you may want to talk to an IT consultant before making a decision.
Make sure to call the Xperts here at Xpert Technologies for all your bandwidth questions.