Which Internet speed works best for your business?

Posted August 8, 2018

Surfing the Web is easy, but surfing through the mountain of offers to find the right Internet package is no easy feat. We’ve put together a step-by-step cheat sheet to help you find that sweet spot for Internet speed and price that best meets your business needs.

Start by asking yourself:

How many people are using Internet?

What are employees using Internet for?

What type of usage is it - uploading or downloading?

Once you gauge your Internet usage needs, you can custom create an optimal coverage package with Bell’s Business Internet Service (BIS). BIS starts at packages as low as 5 Mbps for download, and grows all the way up to 940 Mbps.

Another option is Fibe Internet, which offers symmetrical speeds (upload and download are the same).

Here’s a cheat sheet to help figure out how much Internet you may use:

If you want to:	Surf the web, do online research, email, use social media	Video Streaming	Large File Downloads or Uploads	Video Conferencing

You’ll need about:	1-5 Mbps	5-10 Mbps	10+ Mbps	25+ Mbps

If you want to:	You’ll need about:
Surf the web, email, social media	1-5 Mbps
Video Streaming	5-10 Mbps
Large File Downloads or Uploads	10+ Mbps
Video Conferencing	25+ Mbps

All of these numbers are based on a single user of the Internet connection. Multiple users would require additional bandwidth.

Other questions to consider:

Are you layering services on top of your Internet?

How much Internet are you using?

Are you planning on growing in size?

Types of small businesses and examples of their varying needs:

Restaurant	1-2 simultaneous users Point of Sales (POS) Managing Social Media & Website Receiving online orders	Sending and receiving clients emails Offering customers access to guest Wi-Fi Layering: Landline, to take reservations Layering: TV, to stream the game for clients
Dentist office	2-3 simultaneous users Backing up patient information to the cloud Sending & receiving emails to insurance companies	Offering customers access to guest Wi-Fi Layering: Landline, to take appointments Layering: TV, to stream programs in the waiting room
Law Firm	10 simultaneous users Video Conferencing Sending and receiving clients emails Uploading and downloading large documents	Backing up clients information to the cloud Conducting online research Layering: Landline and mobile, to keep all staff connected.
Corner Store	1 simultaneous user Point of sales(POS) Uploading inventory management & online orders	Maintaining video surveillance streaming Streaming online music
Real Estate Agent	1 simultaneous user Surfing online for clients Sending and receiving emails to clients Maintaining website & social media accounts	Posting pictures online Backing up contracts and documents Layering: Mobile Phone