Broadband Review Series:

Business Broadband - It Does Make a Difference

Business grade broadband does make a difference. Unlike the typical residential DSL throughput, business grade DSL provides more options and speed.

A typical DSL connection is usually an ADSL connection. (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line). The connectivity is accomplished through the use of the normal copper wire telephone lines existing in most locations today. Speeds for business can vary from 1.5 mbps to 9 megabits per second. For small business owners, DSL comes in different flavors.

ADSL � Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line � Capable of 1.5 mbps to 9 mbps downstream and 16 to 640 kbps upstream.

HDSL � High Data Rate DSL � Provides T1 transmission over existing copper wire. Line sharing is NOT allowed with analog phone systems. In addition this is a symmetric transfer rate. Simply put, downstream and upstream rates are at the same speed. (2 mbps)

SDSL - Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line - A variation of HDSL offering speeds from 144kbps upto 3 mbps. This line is NOT shared with analog phone lines.

VDSL � Very High Data Rate DSL � This allows for an apartment building or other building structure the ability to obtain broadband technology using the normal copper wire pairs and can be shared with normal phone lines. This is a new technology with speeds that promise to far outpace normal ADSL connection speeds. Not generally available at this time.

ADSL is the dominant type of DSL access currently being provided. HDSL and SDLS are a very popular business choice given it�s rate of speed and symmetric rate of transfer. VDSL is fairly new and not generally available. Having said that, we�ll need to revisit this technology again to see the progress being made.

Let�s get back to how business can benefit from a DSL broadband connection. Time, productivity, efficiency are all factors in favor of business grade DSL broadband internet access. If you�re currently using dial-up, you know the pains in throughput speeds, perhaps in getting a signal to being with (ISP busy signals are not uncommon depending on the area you�re in). All this waiting wastes time. Your competitor, who has broadband access, has already emailed the RFP or quote and slid right in under you with a new promotion to gain the prospective customers business. If that scenario hasn�t played out for you yet it probably will. Now think of the RFP you did send. How large was it? Have you ever lost the connection while the email was being transmitted? What do you think your competitors are doing all this time?

The above scenarios are not uncommon. Time, productivity and efficiency are lost due to outdated technology. Business happens in a very quick environment. Communications are the lifeblood of any organization and need to be executed consistently and efficiently.

Having said that, the question doesn�t really become IF the technology can benefit your business, but WHICH technology do you really need? There are plenty of vendors out there ready and willing to oversell you. It is my philosophy that it�s not only about technology (although the type of technology certainly plays a role) but the real quest should be in the utilization of technology in the most cost effective way. Technology, like any other business tool, needs to have a positive return on investment. One question I would ask any business owner using dial-up internet service is this. What is your current return on investment using your existing dial-up service? We covered the time, productivity and efficenienc loss due to wasting time getting a signal, slow transmission times when you do have a signal and more wasted time when that signal drops at the least opportune time. So what technology do you need?

The type of access you need, of course depends upon each business case. If a business is just entering into broadband, has a limited existing monthly phone expense, then ADSL might be the way to go. This is a normal progression.

For larger businesses there are other options. The price of T1�s has come down dramatically over the last 3-5 years. It may be a prudent move to have this type of service quoted. Here you could leverage your technology investment by combining voice and data needs into a single infrastructure and quite possible end up saving money in the process. This may be especially true for existing T1 business users who signed their contracts 3 or more years ago. The industry is very competitive and prices, incentives and service levels can vary greatly.

One ballpark figure is $300-$400 dollars per month. If your business is spending that amount or more per month on your internet and phone service, generally speaking it�s time to get a T1 quote. There are many vendors out there, so another prudent move is to get multiple quotes for service from different vendors.

The bottom line is that business grade broadband access is no longer a nice option to have or an option for large corporations only. Competition and technology advancements have brought broadband and it�s benefits into a price range most business can afford. The question just might be not whether you can afford high-speed broadband business access, but rather can you afford not to have it.