As a Business Internet Service Provider, we often get questions about upload and download speeds- particularly around whether a company needs a symmetric connection (where upload and download speeds are the same). With so much buzz around “gigabit Internet” and symmetric 1Gbps packages, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype. The reality is most businesses don’t need a gigabit symmetric connection. Let’s break down why.

Colocation is a service that enables businesses (or individuals) to rent space in a data centre to house their servers and networking equipment. Colocation is often referred to as ‘colo’, and it means that businesses can benefit from the infrastructure of a data centre without having to build their own.

A virtual landline is a phone number that operates over the Internet rather than through traditional telephone lines, allowing you to make and receive calls from any device connected to the internet like a phone or computer. Virtual Landlines use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) rather than the copper lines used for traditional landlines.

Business broadband and residential broadband both provide you with Internet connectivity, so what is the difference between these 2 services? There are 2 main differences between residential and business broadband services and these are contention ratios (impacting speed and reliability) and Service Level Agreements (SLA’s). Let’s take a look at these differences to help you decide which service would best suit your needs.