It is hard to live without the internet in today’s world. It plays a major role in improving productivity in the office and home so finding the best internet service provider is critical.
But arguably, choosing the best internet service provider will depend on several factors that I will discuss in this article.
I would recommend choosing the top-ranked ones by VSS monitoring because they have affordable monthly fees, high speeds, great customer support, and are actually reliable. Who doesn’t like consistent internet?
Know the Speed & Data That You Need
If you are planning to install the internet in your home or office, it is extremely important to know how many people will be using it plus your internet activities. These activities will impact the speed of your internet.
For Home Use
Speed is measured in megabits per second or MBPS. Good internet speed for most people is 25 MBPS to 30 MBPS. These speeds can support a lot of online activities such as downloading movies, online gaming, watching YouTube videos, web browsing, and many more.
If it is for home use, do you have a family that will be streaming TV, browsing social media, or even downloading music?
For The Office
You will need good internet speed if you will be video conferencing a lot or uploading large files to the cloud. If however your internet will be used to just send and receive emails, researching general information, reading news; you do not need very high internet speeds.
If your business requires a lot of work to be done over the internet and requires a lot of data, make sure there are no data caps that the provider imposes.
Number of Users and Devices
The number of users plus gadgets will impact the speed of your internet.
If your children or roommates have laptops, smartphones, and gaming consoles and they will be used at the same time to stream HD videos, do video calls, play online games, or download music online, I would recommend getting 40-100 Mbps.
Monthly Fee
Internet speeds differ significantly around the world. Are you paying too much for your internet? The average starting price should be $35 to $50 per month for speeds ranging from 10-1000 Mbps.
Therefore, you need to have a good balance between the speed and price of your internet. Paying $1000 a month for less speed does not make sense especially if it has 1 user and is not used often.
Type of Connection
When looking for the best internet service provider, consider the type of connection available. The type of connection has a big impact on the speed of your internet. Some connections such as satellites are notoriously slow while others are super-fast such as fiber.
The Internet service providers will either have Fiber, 5G, Satellite, Cable, Dial-up, DSL, or Fixed wireless LTE connection. If you want fast speed and reliable connection, choose an internet service provider that offers fiber and cable connections.
Fiber
Speed range from 50 to 1,000 Mbps. This type of connection has the best speed plus it is reliable. In the past decades, fiber optics were only installed in big companies and offices.
Today you can find this type of connection in homes and even small offices. Internet services providers who provide this type of connection include Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon.
Cable
Speeds range from 25-200 Mbps. It delivers faster speeds making it the best option for gaming online, downloading movies and music, uploading big files, etc.
Fixed Wireless LTE
Speeds range from 5 to 10 Mbps. This type of connection is available in places where there is no cable internet service such as remote regions. It will require you to have an antenna installed.
No cable infrastructures. Some of the internet service providers of this type of connection include AT&T and Verizon.
Satellite
The speed of this connection ranges from 10 to 30 Mbps. Internet signals are transmitted via a dish installed on or around your home from the provider. HughesNet and Viasat provide this kind of connection.
It is widely available in remote places, has slower speeds, and is prone to disruption.
Other Essential Services
When choosing an internet service provider, check if they offer support services such as business TV, a phone, email bundle, security services, 24/7 support, etc. This will save you money in the long run if you happen to get these services.
Most businesses rely on the internet and you do not want to be offline. Your internet service provider should always be reachable. When looking for one, make sure or she guarantees uptime and uninterrupted service.
If you happen to have a connectivity issue, does your provider have a solution to offer? If your provider will offer virus, spam, or malware protection, that will be an added advantage.
Do they offer a router/modem? If it’s free this can be a big perk if you don’t have an existing one.
These are some of the factors that you should consider before signing up with one. Do not forget to consider the reputation of a provider.
Read their reviews online. Do they offer constant speeds? Do they have good customer reviews? Do they have a contract? Are their fees constant or keep changing? These are some of the things you need to check.
Sign up only when you are fully satisfied.