The true cost of using cheap internet services

When the going gets tough, businesses must do everything they can to cut costs. Unfortunately, if you’re considering saving money by switching to a cheaper internet service, you may find yourself counting the cost and not the saving

Slow download speeds

They may say that they can provide fast speeds in your area, but many cheap internet services can only manage as little as 5-6Mbps, which is simply not good enough for today’s business broadband user. If you’ve signed up for a long contract with these cheap, slow internet providers, you’ll be regretting it when you can’t get the speed you need. If your download speed is slow, imagine how terrible your upload speed is. If your business relies on speedy internet connection, choose a business internet service that really matches your requirements.

Download Limits

If, like many businesses, yours relies on sending and receiving considerably large amounts of data each month, you may come unstuck with a cheap internet service. They often impose unrealistically low download limits and charge you heavily if you go over your agreed usage. A business broadband user needs to have boundless limits on their downloads.

Poor-quality internet telephony

Does your cheap broadband provider offer the kind of service that can support high-quality voice telephony? If all you get is patchy quality with frequent drops in service, you simply can’t use that service for customer contact or client calls. Choose a business broadband provider that offers you a stable, reliable service for all your VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephony requirements.

More down than up

When you sign up to a cheap internet service you may discover to your cost that their service is down more than its up. To most businesses, downtime means a serious dent in profits. Always choose a business broadband provider with the very best connection stability.

Unsatisfactory customer service

When you choose a cheap internet service, often you must pay a premium price to call their customer service. When you finally reach one of their operatives, they may be based outside the UK, and English may not be their first language. Poorly trained staff in oversees call centres at the end of premium phone lines means wasted time and money. When you select a business broadband provider, choose someone with a good record on customer service.

Before signing up for any business broadband package, check that all of the above areas have been satisfactorily discussed. If your business depends upon excellent communication and connectivity, choosing a cheap internet service could end up costing you much more than you save.

You can find more information on choosing and managing an internet service provider on the IT Donut.