Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

3. Connection Speed

Once you know what your requirements are and how much data you will want to transfer through your ISP, you can choose the best type of connection.

Not all ISPs offer every kind of connection, so you can filter some out at this stage.

3.1 The simplest - and slowest - connection is through a standard phone line.

• This is suitable for light users, very small firms with few users or low data-transfer requirements.
• A standard modem can theoretically download at 56kB per second, but in practice it reaches a speed of around 40kB per second. Therefore, a four-page Word document sized 100Kb would take around 20 seconds to download through this connection.
• A single ISDN line downloads at around 64kB per second and a double line will reach 128kB per second. The 100Kb Word file would download in around 13 seconds on a single ISDN line and seven seconds on a double.

3.2 Always-on connections are more suitable for most businesses, especially if you want to transfer data regularly or in large chunks.

• Dependent upon your area, you may be able to get a (SDSL, ADSL or cable) connection.
• For rural areas where ADSL will not reach, there are alternative broadband services such as satellite broadband, or even 'community' type WiFi (wireless network) services, whereby a street or office 'share' a single connection. In some areas ADSL is now availabl up to 8Mb. ADSL is not symmetric, so if you are planning to 'host' anything yourself, the speed in to your server will be considerably slower than your access out.
• Broadband download speeds currently range from 512 Kb to 10Mb per second or so, depending on your location and provider. Consider how much speed you will need now and in the future, as re-grading to a faster connection can incur charges.

3.3 If you have very high usage requirements and rock-solid reliability is essential, you should consider a leased line.

• This is the most expensive option and is only worth considering if your business has a large number of employees or is completely dependent on the Internet.