There have been plentiful demonstrations in recent years of the importance of organisations being able to access the best business Internet solution for their requirements.

The COVID-19 crisis – with the surge in video calling, social media, and other solutions companies were then utilising heavily – underscored the role that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) play in supporting a business’s day-to-day communications, marketing, and other operations.

Whether you are reading this having just started out in business for the first time, or you are a decision-maker for a more established organisation, it might not be obvious to you how to narrow down potential providers of business Internet services.

So, in this article, we have outlined five steps to help you settle on the best business Internet provider for your company.

How to Choose the Best Business Internet Service Provider

Choosing the best Internet Service Provider for your business

As a specialist in the industry in which your business thrives, you will know that the world is in a state of constant evolution – and revolution. The elements that would have made up the optimal business Internet solution for your organisation five years ago, might not be so relevant or useful to your company today.

Inevitably, with businesses constantly looking for sources of competitive advantage, competition among business-focused ISPs is intense, too.

By following these steps, you can help ensure you choose the business Internet services that work best for your company, and its operational and growth priorities right now.

Make a list of your business Internet needs

Lists are greatly useful in all aspects of life. Certainly, when you are trying to decide on the optimal business Internet solution for your organisation, putting together a list will help separate your company’s “must haves” from its mere “nice to haves”.

It might seem obvious, for example, to say that the next business Internet service your company invests in needs to be fast. But what is the nature and extent of those speed requirements? What number of individuals will be using your business Internet solution, and when it comes to such processes as uploading and downloading, what will be the level of your data needs?

Note, too, whether the next business ISP you partner with will be required to provide its service to a single office in one location, or a network of your organisation’s premises across the region or country. This might have further implications for the specific ISP and package you ultimately choose.

Consider your security requirements

Security is rightly one of the uppermost priorities for organisations comparing business ISPs today. Indeed, your business’s sensitive information – encompassing the confidential data of clients and customers – may have never been under greater threat. The UK Government’s 2024 Cyber Security Breaches Survey found that half of businesses have experienced some form of cyber security breach or attack over the last 12 months.

So, whatever business ISP you’re considering should show signs of being highly proactive in response to the constantly evolving threat landscape.

Can the given business Internet Service Provider outline specific and in-depth information about its firewall, antimalware, and spam-filtering technologies? Does it provide options such as remote access Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), which might be of particular interest if remote employees of yours need to use potentially vulnerable public networks?

Look at online reviews

Typing the names of business ISPs into Google, followed by the word “reviews”, should hardly be the only step you take to whittle down your company’s options.

But if you do carry out such an action, and there are consistently positive reviews attached to the ISP’s Google Business Profile, as well as on other third-party review platforms such as Trustpilot, this could be heartening.

As all business ISPs will have both good and bad reviews, it is important not to be unduly influenced by a single review. Instead, peruse a variety of third-party reviews, case studies, and other online commentary by people who seem to have been actual customers, and observe whether certain consistent trends emerge in what is said.

Think about availability and efficiency

In your search for the best business Internet provider, you are likely to sift through a wide range of options, from Business ADSL broadband to dedicated leased line connections.

You will also probably see a lot of bold claims about speeds that might not reflect those your business will realistically receive in its location. Smaller businesses in rural localities can be especially disadvantaged in this respect, as there may not be many ISPs serving their area from which they can choose.

So, when you are comparing plans, you should pay close attention to the bandwidth, and be alert to the possibility of shared circuits causing the actual speed to be slower than advertised.

Look into pricing and check what’s included

Pricing can be deceptive when you are looking for the best business Internet specialist. This is thanks to the tendency for vital details – such as data limits and additional costs and charges – to be buried deep in the terms and conditions of many ISP contracts.

You should be clear about what your organisation’s budget is for an Internet service for business, and you should demand just as much clarity and transparency from a potential ISP.

If certain extras like Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) push up the fees by a significant degree, you may need to look again at your list of priorities we mentioned above. Ask yourself, repeatedly, what you will and won’t need from your next business Internet package.

Start-ups, for example, often begin with a single individual using their home Internet service for remote working. Depending on what your business’s requirements are, a simple and good-value solution like this might serve you just fine – for now.

Choose Infinitel for business Internet services you can depend on

We know a thing or two about fast and reliable business Internet solutions here at Infinitel, and we certainly aren’t here to suggest that one specific type of system is the right one for all organisations.

Instead, we are dedicated to working closely with businesses to ensure each one benefits from the bespoke solution that satisfies its connectivity, security, and budgetary requirements.

We possess a deep understanding of the needs of businesses, whether they are start-ups or some of the biggest organisations in the world. Our independence from all networks and manufacturers allows us to put together the right deal for each business we serve – and we could do the same for your company.

We’re honest, personable, and jargon-free communicators, too – just what you might need when you are trying to make sense of the confusing world of business Internet services. Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can serve as the best business Internet provider for your organisation – whatever its industry, stage of development, and longer-term ambitions.