Things are starting to look up post-covid, with many people slowly returning to routines that we use to label as normal. One major shift in the world is the implementation of a hybrid working environment. Many people are still working remotely or from home, changing the way many of us work. Businesses are looking to scale down as more people are working from home, and one area they keep questioning is business fibre internet and why it’s more expensive than home internet?
What is Fibre Internet?
Fibre Optic Internet is an internet connection that transfers data via fibre optic cables at the speed of light through glass cabling. It is estimated that fibre optic cables may be able to deliver internet speeds 20 times faster than regular cables. Fibre Optic Internet solutions are more reliable and stable than traditional internet cables and they are able to provide uninterrupted data transfers for both upload and download of content.
Fibre Optic Cables are installed by specifically appointed professional companies who specialise in fibre optic installations. The fibre network is growing daily, with the coverage being expanded right across South Africa.
Types of Fibre Connections
When the Fibre Internet cables are installed, different setups are used, depending on the requirements of the area. In a suburbs area you will typically find home fibre, also referred to as Fibre to the home(FTTH) and in business areas you may find Business Fibre, also referred to as Fibre to the business(FTTB).
Fibre to the home(FTTH)
Residential areas generally have less demanding internet requirements with people using it mainly for streaming. FTTH has been designed to be a more cost effective installation with a more basic setup to give homes access to fast internet. As this is a basic Installation, FTTH can experience down time and higher contention ratio. The FTTH installation is generally done over GPON or AON – this offers a synchronous line speed where the download speed is usually faster than the upload speed.
Fibre to the business(FTTB)
FTBT is a whole different installation setup than FTTH, as it provides a scalable solution for high-demand internet connection. This Installation is done over two fibre lines which means it can give you equal download and upload speeds. This installation allows a large number of users to access the internet connection at the same time, without interruptions. The FTTB has less chance of experiencing downtime or interruptions.
- Contention is when many people are connected to the internet at the same time and end up competing for connection.
Business Internet Needs
The internet needs of a business are very different to the internet needs for a home. Many business processes cannot happen without a stable internet connection. Some businesses may rely on large data transfers for everyday operations. If employees don’t have the right tools to effectively do their jobs, it can have a serious impact on the overall productivity of employees and cause losses for the business in terms of time and output.
Business Internet needs may include the following:
- Stable connection for VOIP Calls
- Fast access to cloud services
- Video conferencing and video streaming
- FTP access and uninterrupted access to team collaboration software
- Transfer of large data files
- Sustained security of company digital assets
Why is business fibre more expensive than home fibre?
Taking the above into account, we can see why a business fibre internet connection is more expensive than a home fibre internet connection. It all comes down to the reliability of the internet connection.
Businesses pay more for a two way fibre connection that gives them a reliable internet connection with the same upload and download speeds that can be accessed by multiple people concurrently.
FTTB is a more complex installation, requires more hardware and essentially ends up costing more to physically install and connect to businesses. A business cannot compromise on the quality of their internet connection as this can affect their overall operations, employee productivity and negatively impact business relationships with other businesses as well as consumers. There is nothing worse than not being able to assist a consumer with their business needs because you aren’t able to access the necessary information.
Conclusion
Home Fibre internet solutions are not suitable to run a business and by downgrading you can face some serious operational issues which could have a direct impact on your bottom line. It’s important for each business to understand their business requirements to adequately assess the internet requirements for their business to run at its optimal best. Once the business knows what their requirements are, they can then decide on the most suitable internet package for their business needs. Even if more employees are working from home, your business requirements may still require you to have a stable internet connection to complete business processes such as data transfers. Don’t compromise on the back bone of your business.
Contact our professional to find out more on our FTTB solutions. We will guide you through the process and help you find the most suitable business internet solution.