We’ve all done it, sat head in hands waiting for our internet connection to do something, anything!
Since being online has become the way of the modern world businesses and homes alike have been driven to improve the speed of their broadband connections, but what are the consequences for those who don’t work in an area where broadband isn’t quite as fast as competitors?
For the majority, broadband has become much more reliable but for those still enduring poor internet connection the Federation of Small Business’ found that businesses have suffered losses of over £1000 in the last 12 months due to internet problems.
Your internet connection is critical to the productivity of your business, allowing you to undertake daily operational tasks such as; internal communications, inventory management, point of sale applications and the ability to transfer files quickly and efficiently. A lack of internet connection can also hinder your customer service response and reduce your ability to grow and keep up with innovations.
Areas with the fastest internet broadband connectivity:
- Belfast – 34.3 Mbps
- Brighton 33.8 Mbps
- Nottingham 30.4 Mbps
- Plymouth 27.3 Mbps
- Middlesborough 34.4 Mbps
- Swindon 31.8 Mbps
- Cadiff 30.2 Mbps
- Huddersfield 27.7 Mbps
Areas with the slowest internet broadband connectivity:
- Milton Keynes 17.1 Mbps
- Sheffield 18.3 Mbps
- Newcastle 21.1Mbps
If you are based in Miserden, Gloucestershire you will only receive a measly 1.30Mbps – less than what you can get at the top of Mount Everest!!
To find the right internet solution for your business it is important to identify exactly what you need as there are services that can fit everything from a small to medium size office requiring basic email and web browsing capabilities to services for large corporate and multinational, enterprise companies requiring services for off-site staff, data and video conferencing.
How do you know what your business needs?
By looking at how your business utilises technology will help you to decide which internet speed is best for you. Look at the number of employees you have, are they on or off-site? Do you offer online payments? Video conferencing? It is also important to identify the number of devices your company uses – including all smart phones, tablets or other mobile devices requiring connectivity.
Confused by upload and download speeds?
It seems that business leaders are usually more concerned about the speed that devices can pull data from the internet (download) it is actually more important that you look at your upload capability as this can be more vital to your daily operations, as it determines how quickly the information can be sent out (think email attachments.) If your connection is slow daily tasks can become very slow and inefficient.
How can we help?
At Liberty-i we work with many different types of businesses enabling them to get the very best out of their connectivity.
We have just started to work with Llangoed Ltd, which is the parent company of numerous hotels within the Brecon national park. They wanted to increase the connectivity to the simply stunning Llangoed Hall and The Swan at Hay. After our initial discussions and site visits at both properties, we are in the process of supplying a 100Mb Managed Lease Line to Llangoed Hall and updating the Wi-Fi solution in both hotels.
This will enable both venues to offer other services and attract a greater a number of people and businesses to the area for both corporate and leisure events.
If you are having connectivity issues or feel your business would benefit from one of our services, take a look at what we have to offer.