Finding a Business Broadband Provider
When looking for an internet service provider, you need to consider
- cost
- type of service - broadband or dial up
- reliability and service
- excess data and setup charges
- terms and conditions of ISP
Business Broadband plans range from $100 per month per site. There is a service guarantee, that ensures that the network has 99.9% uptime and you are credited for downtimes under the terms of the service guarantee. All internal traffic within your network is FREE. Therefore, you will save money on ISDN and data traffic between company sites and free I.T.staff within the company to engage in other important activities rather than worry about the status of the network.
Intranets can be designed to compliment business broadband arrangements and deliver organisational benefits and improved efficiency.
If however if you are on a tight budget and cost is more important than reliablity, then
http://www.broadbandchoice.com.au/plan.cfm is a link to a great site to search for a broadband internet service provider. You can use this web site to search for a plan that will suit you. This web site serves as a portal for information on issues relating to broadband users. Not all broadband plans are the same, and in order to maximize profits some providers may overload the network with users. In looking for a provider, it would be prudent to ask if they provide a 30 day money back guarantee or some form of trial.
The hidden costs of dial up internet service include the cost of an extra phone line, telephone call costs every time you connect to the internet, and excess data traffic charges. For a business, the need to have a reliable internet connection is imperative and though dial up may seem cheaper, it is not as fast or as reliable as a broadband connection and if you consider the cost of an extra phone line and the cost of phone calls everytime you connect to the internet, dial up is only useful if you are a very casual user. Any serious business should definitely invest in business broadband.
It is better to overestimate the amount of data traffic that you would expect to use, especially if the excess data charges are substancially more than you would pay on a plan. Some broadband providers chose to reduce the speed of connection rather than charge for excess data but others charge an exhorbitant amount for excess data and a bill in the thousands of dollars could await you if you are not careful managing your usage. Security is also an issue when excess data charges apply to your account, and it is wise to exercise caution and protect your computer from potential hackers that might want to use your account to access the internet.
http://whirlpool.net.au/faq-ab.cfm has information about security software and frequently asked questions about broadband.