Remote working has become the norm for many people, particularly since the pandemic. Lots of businesses have embraced remote or hybrid working styles, allowing their teams to work from home or remotely full-time or several days a week.
This has many benefits for both employers and their workforce, though, in the initial stages, it means ensuring that you have all the right tools and technology in place to make working remotely a success.
A huge part of this is ensuring that you’ve got a strong enough internet connection to be able to access shared workspaces, send emails, take video calls, etc. For many, this meant quickly upgrading their home broadband to accommodate their new life as a remote worker.
So, if you’re planning on working remotely in the future or if you already work from home and you need a better connection that can boost productivity and reduce stress, we’re here to help.
Before you settle on any one provider, it’s best to do your research and compare broadband deals in Northern Ireland. You can do this using online comparison sites or going direct to providers for a quote. There are several things to keep in mind at this point
This guide will walk you through the differences in home and business broadband, as well as the most important considerations you need to make when preparing to work remotely.
Read on to find out more.
The difference between home and business broadband
It can be all too easy to assume that your current home broadband will do the trick. While this might be the case for some, this could have a negative impact on your work if your internet speeds can’t keep up. This is especially true if there is more than one of you working from home each day.
To help you understand why business broadband could be essential for you, we’ll take a look at the key differences between business and home broadband.
One of the biggest differences is that business broadband packages are typically faster and have better upload speeds than home broadband; they also offer better security features. Some broadband will have limits on usage, but business accounts tend to be unlimited or offer bigger capacities.
Not only this, but there are often more enhanced customer service options for business broadband accounts, which can be very helpful if you ever encounter an issue.
Of course, all of this means that business broadband accounts are often more expensive than regular home accounts. That being said, it is worth paying the extra if it is going to have a more positive impact on your workday and can help you to be more productive.
So, we would suggest that while you might be able to get away with home broadband, it’s best to at least consider business broadband and look into different providers, as this can make your life much easier further down the line.
What about a mobile hotspot instead?
Another option that many professionals consider is using their wireless data plan through their mobile to create a hotspot. This allows them to use the data they are already paying for via their mobile phone contract.
However, mobile broadband like this can be unreliable and much slower than a business broadband connection. Not only this, but limits on mobile data are often quite low, around 30 to 50 GB.
For those that have unlimited packages, this can be very tempting, but as with home broadband, slower speeds can really impact your day-to-day work. Therefore, it’s better to look into a business plan to ensure reliability, fast downloads and the ability to go about your working day stress-free.
How to find the best business broadband for working from home
When it comes to choosing business broadband for your work requirements, you need to make sure it ticks all the right boxes. To help you do this, we’ve pulled together a few top tips and things you need to consider when selecting business broadband. These include:
Thinking about how many people are using the internet
One of the best ways to determine the broadband speed you need is to think about how many people in your home will be using it and what they are using it for. You could run a speed test beforehand to see what you’re currently working with, and this will give you a better idea of what speeds you’ll need to be more productive.
Most broadband routers will be able to support a limited amount of devices, so it is also worth keeping this in mind when choosing your broadband provider.
Doing research and comparing broadband deals
Before you settle on any one provider, it’s best to do your research and compare broadband deals. You can do this using online comparison sites or going direct to providers for a quote. There are several things to keep in mind at this point:
- Where you live and what is available in your area
- The cost of different packages
- The speeds you need and any other features you want to prioritise
- Usage limits and traffic management
- Security and IP addresses
Take all of these points into consideration when comparing providers, and don’t be afraid to ask questions if you’re unsure about a contract. Once you’ve compared providers, you should be able to bag the best business broadband package for the best price.
Don’t forget the installation costs
Something that often gets neglected when choosing a broadband package is set up. If you’ve put all that time and effort into finding the perfect package, you don’t want to fall at the final hurdle and get slapped with a huge installation fee.
As such, it’s important to always keep the installation cost in mind and find out what it is before signing up for a contract.
Finding out about payment penalties
Finally, if your business broadband comes with limitations, you don’t want to exceed these, but if you do, it’s important to know what will happen, so you don’t face huge unexpected fees. The best way to combat this is to make sure you are fully aware of any penalties you might face and get alerts set up for when you go close to your limit.
Of course, the best way to get past this is to choose bigger plans with bigger (or no) limitations. You can look into this during your research stage and compare providers based on usage limits.
