Over the years, Cayman Islands has developed an up-to-date telecommunications infrastructure that enables the fastest business and residential internet in Cayman.
Did you know this infrastructure also equips the Islands with the fastest internet speed in the Caribbean?
Today, we can’t run a business, small or large-scale, without the internet; for that matter, our day-to-day life is dependent on it- be it for work, entertainment, or informational purposes.
Suppose you are establishing a new business in Cayman and cannot decide between Residential internet and Business internet; in that case, this article will discuss exactly that based on several factors.
Understanding Business Internet vs. Residential Internet
As soon the word business comes into play, the related services will automatically have more advanced features, benefits, and, yes, higher costs. But, when it comes to business internet, it will have the upper hand compared to residential internet.
Here’s a quick overview of what Business and Home internet are –
Business internet –
- Internet connection dedicated to conducting business
- Faster download and upload speeds
- Additional features
- Robust customer service department
- Higher price range
Residential internet –
- As the name suggests, this is the internet service you use at home
- Lower starting speeds and asymmetrical download and upload speeds
- The pricing plans are comparatively lower
- The pricing plans can range from basic to moderately high
Moving further to the most critical factors that set apart business internet from residential internet:
- Service-Level Agreements (SLA)
- Lightning-Fast Speed
- IP (Internet Protocol) Address
- Symmetrical & Asymmetrical Internet
- Dedicated & Shared bandwidth
- Customer Service
- Pricing Plan
Let’s understand all the factors in detail.
- Service-Level Agreements (SLA)
A service-level agreement (or an SLA) is a contract between a service provider and its customers. It lists the nature and scope of service with the performance standards.
The agreement also states a certain level of speed, the least internet outage, and mentions the timeframe to fix the technical issues. If the internet provider fails to adhere to the SLA, the businesses are offered compensation to make up for the losses.
The above statement sums up the services for the business customers, and they know what to expect. The larger the business, the more the users, and thus they need faster internet speeds.
- Lightning-Fast Speed
Be it a small firm or a Fortune 500 company, internet speed has to be swift. Moreover, if your business is online, you cannot afford to have a slower internet speed.
Now, to sustain your need for speed, business internet speeds tend to be anywhere from two to five times faster than residential connections. Your employees can do more work efficiently and quickly. The slower upload and download speed of a residential internet connection can be very taxing for you, your employees, and, eventually, your customers.
- IP (Internet Protocol) Address
Business internet connections mostly come with a static IP address, and the residential internet has a dynamic IP address.
Since static IP addresses are more reliable and secure, they also provide businesses with the capacity to host their network infrastructure for servers and file storage. Static IPs are critical for hosting your own network infrastructure, including file and mail servers.
Residential internet with a dynamic IP address may be less secure and unstable; additionally, they change without notice.
Still, both static and dynamic IPs are comparable as long as a good security program or firewall is installed.
- Symmetrical & Asymmetrical Internet
The business internet is symmetrical, meaning you can upload as fast as you can download. Since many businesses have resorted to cloud services and video conferencing software, having sufficient upload speed is very important. These connections form an integral part of the business if you backup data to offsite centers.
On the contrary, residential internet usage is mainly for video/music and web surfing. These functions depend more on download speeds than upload; thus, residential internet connection usually is asymmetrical.
- Dedicated & Shared bandwidth
When it comes to business internet, the connection goes directly to your office location, considering you have a dedicated bandwidth. It further enables faster speeds, fewer delays, and reduces packet loss.
In residential internet, hundreds or even thousands of neighbors can pull bandwidth from the same port on a shared, residential connection called Point-to-Multipoint or GPON.
If everyone is online during peak hours, the connection will slow down, no matter what your usage is. It results in slower speeds, more latency, and packet loss, causing interruptions and delayed responses.
- Customer Service
Business Internet users have access to expert customer support round the clock, and if the need arises, the ISP will also depute an on-site technician.
On the other hand, residential internet users have a hit and a miss experience with customer support. It sometimes takes more than 48 hours to resolve issues.
- Pricing Plans
The residential internet connection plans are available at around $20 monthly, while business internet connection will range from $60 to $500 per month or even higher, depending on pricing plans.
Please bear in mind that the low cost should be the deciding factor when choosing between business internet and residential internet.
Conclusion
Unfailingly, business internet packs all the factors that will promise smooth functioning of your organization – be it fast speed, SLAs, dedicated bandwidth, or symmetrical connection. Not denying the fact that it is costly, but it is worth every penny. Residential internet works well for home usage, but it cannot sustain a business.