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For many business owners, setting up a new office marks an important milestone for their company. Yet, there are also many considerations when setting up an office that we need to pay close attention to, including choosing a good business broadband plan.
In this digital era, having good and reliable internet connection is a prerequisite for work. Whether your business is fully digital with online productivity tools, cloud storage and virtual management systems or a brick-and-mortar operation, having good internet can open up the use of multiple online tools and increase your employees’ productivity.
While most people have experience choosing broadband plans for their homes, choosing a business broadband plan for the office has different considerations. The technology requirements of your business will have implications on the kind of business broadband plan that you get.
Here are 4 things to look out for when choosing a business broadband plan for your office.
#1 Need For Speed (And Reliability)
The last thing anyone wants when working in an office is an internet connection that is slow or causes us to lag when speaking during video calls. As virtual meetings continue to be a norm in the working world, good internet is now a priority. Not only do we want a speedy internet connection, but we also need it to be reliable.
Latency is the time delay for data to transmit from one point to another in the network. High latency is also what we commonly understand as lag. Thus, for better performance, choose business broadband plans that combine high-speed internet with low latency.
Another consideration is bandwidth, which is the maximum amount of data transmitted over a connection within a period of time. For businesses with high upload or download demands, it is essential to have a broadband plan with good bandwidth to maintain certain online operations.
For offices that prioritise high connectivity, having a broadband plan of at 1 Gbps is recommended to cater to the evolving user requirements as offices support more applications, devices and users. Businesses who value speed can check out ViewQwest’s offerings. ViewQwest is currently Singapore’s fastest fixed network and winner of Ookla’s Speedtest Awards since 2018. Additionally, ViewQwest Business Broadband Plans offer low latency, latency-based routing, no international bandwidth caps, guaranteed bandwidth on all traffic to ensure high performance broadband connection.
To really make the best use of high performance broadband connection, ViewQwest also offers broadband plan bundles with WiFi 6 capable routers such as the ASUS AX56U WIFI 6 Router. WiFi 6 routers are designed to take advantage of improved speeds and bandwidth, with up to three times faster speed compared to WiFI 4 and the ability to connect more devices, allowing businesses to maximise the use of the broadband plan they are paying for.
#2 Security Is Key
For any office space, security is vital. Whether it’s ensuring that we lock our office doors at the end of each day, regularly changing the password access when an employee leaves or installing cameras in the office, every company needs to take security matters in the office seriously.
But security is no longer just limited to ensuring the physical security of our premises. As work is increasingly done online, cybersecurity is now more essential than it ever was. While most people think of cybersecurity solutions as standalone programmes, the fact is that cybersecurity solutions can be integrated with other services. For smaller businesses that do not have an in-house technology team, an integrated security solution from an internet service provider may be a good option.
ViewQwest is currently offering free 3 months of their SecureNet Biz for every business broadband contract plan sign-up. SecureNet Biz is an add-on option to your business broadband plan that provides 24/7 protection to your network devices with anti-virus, phishing, malware & adware deterrence, URL filtering. As the service is embedded in the network, it is easy to use even for businesses without in-house technical expertise.
#3 Static VS Dynamic Broadband Plans
Business broadband plans often feature static and dynamic broadband plans. Dynamic broadband plans tend to be more affordable, making them a good option for businesses that do not have mission-critical applications. For offices that just need a broadband plan for employees to connect to the internet without running any critical internet operations such as in-house servers, dynamic broadband may suffice.
ViewQwest offers affordable dynamic business broadband plans for SMEs. The 1Gbps Fibernet Lite is a dynamic business broadband plan that comes with free ASUS AX56U WIFI 6 Router, modem rental and waiver of one-time charges for a promotional price of $149 per month with a 36-month contract.
However, for businesses that are hosting data or applications, or require remote access to secured networks, having a static broadband plan may be essential. Static broadband plans offer a static IP address (or multiple) that is uniquely tied to your connection and doesn’t change upon reconnection, unlike dynamic IP addresses. Some static broadband plans also promise guaranteed levels of network availability suitable for mission-critical business needs.
For businesses that require that reliability, ViewQwest’s static broadband plans offer low-latency high-performance broadband with a guaranteed SLA of 99.95% network availability. The 1Gbps static broadband plan is currently discounted at $352 per month (36-month contract) with 1 Static IPv4 Address, managed router, modem rental and waiver of one-time charges.
#4 Your Broadband Plan Duration And Lease Tenure Should Be Similar
While most advice revolving around broadband plans focus on technological considerations, they tend to neglect the practicalities of choosing a broadband plan. Plan duration matters. Unlike our homes in Singapore where most of us are owner-occupiers, most businesses rent their offices. Depending on your contract terms and business expansion plans, your business may not continue at the same location year after year. This is especially so for small businesses which may see a sudden expansion and outgrow their office space within a year or two.
Unlike residential broadband plans, most business broadband plans do not offer relocation options or impose a high penalty for early termination. To circumvent this issue, you can plan and choose a broadband plan that coincides with your rental lease tenure. This makes it easy for future office expansion or relocation.
To provide flexibility to businesses, ViewQwest offers a variety of business broadband plans with a choice of contract duration – 12, 24 and 36 months. The duration of these broadband plans is ideal as they are similar to most office rental lease tenure.
Additionally, ViewQwest also offers a no-contract option for their dynamic broadband plans for companies unwilling to commit to a longer-term plan.
A Business Broadband Plan Is More Than Just An Internet Connection
In a time when work-from-home or hybrid working arrangements has become prevalent, the office must be more than just a place with good internet. Having a good broadband plan can help support businesses make the office environment a conducive place to work productively.
Besides just providing good internet, there are other features that your broadband plan can provide that can support your office’s physical needs. For instance, offices may find having a phone service useful for managing customer or client queries. These services can often be integrated together with your broadband plan to offer more value and greater convenience to businesses.
ViewQwest’s business broadband plans include add-on options such as their OneVoice telephony service and Vesta Shield remote monitoring service. OneVoice includes telephony features such as 3-way conference calls and support across mobile, desktops and laptops, which is helpful for managing business calls. Vesta Shield offers 24/7 premium monitoring & security service for your physical office. It’s like having a CCTV and more, at a fraction of the cost. Vesta Shield is equipped with HD cameras and multi-use sensors powered by an advanced notification engine so that all unwanted activities, such as break ins or theft, are not left unnoticed.
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