The loss of internet access could result in the loss of customer service, shipping, billing, and consequently, the loss of revenues. However, internet access is just as important as electricity for most businesses.
Although the primary purpose of both commercial and residential internet is to offer connectivity over the network, they are quite different in how they work. Video streaming, user-friendly conference services, remote desktop accessibility, and mobile usage are all driving the demand for more robust options at the commercial facility.
Let’s have a look at how commercial internet is different from a residential internet.
Speed
In the residential internet, the download speed is usually considered more important than the upload speed. A typical home user usually needs the internet to stream movies, browse websites, and get access to other types of content for which the download speed is what matters. However, if you want to develop and share content, backup your data offsite, and perform other similar tasks, the upload speed matters a lot. Considering the need of businesses for both downloading and uploading speeds, the commercial internet usually offers the same upload speed as the download speed.
Static IP Address
If you want to host infrastructure at your workplace, such as a file server, a mail server, video cameras, etc., you need a dedicated IP address to point to. Static IP addresses are more reliable for Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and Virtual Private Networks. Although static IP addressing costs higher than dynamic IP addressing, it offers great utility to businesses, especially to those who are seeking enhanced security for data sharing over the network.
Service Level Agreements
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) typically offer Service Level Agreement (SLA) to commercial users, which mean that if the ISP fails to deliver the promised level of service, it will refund your money.
In order to deliver the agreed upon service, the commercial internet is consistently monitored to measure response time and service level. Moreover, commercial internet services are supported by expert professionals rather than entry-level technical staff. Also, as commercial users pay higher than residential users, they take priority during service outages.
Over-Subscription
The term over-subscription is used to describe how many times a specific amount of bandwidth can be resold. In most residential connections, a bandwidth of 1Mb may be sold to 50 different customers, assuming that all 50 customers might not be trying to fully utilise that 1 Mb at the same time. Business users also experience bandwidth over-subscription, but to a much lesser degree. Usually, the over-subscription in commercial connections goes up to 20 to 1 as opposed to 50 to 1 of the residential user.
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