Things You Need To Ask When Hiring Internet Service Providers

Posted by eliteinternet on August 29th, 2019

Broadband has become more like a necessity rather than just a matter of choice for any businesses, however, most of the businesses do not know how to make the right choice. If you are a business wanting a dependable Internet connection and looking for an ISP, it is important to inquire about the following things:

Customer-care service and availability of technician:

You may not do business around the clock, but if you are getting 24x7 tech support from your Internet Service Provider, this is an advantage. Downtime means loss of money so when you hire an Internet service provider you should make sure that your ISP is always available for chat and phone communication. It’s also important to ask if the service provider is giving you live or automated assistance and how often technicians can be accessed on-site.

Average Yearly Downtime:

Most ISPs promise perfect or near perfect uptime which is normally around 98%, however, in most cases, they fail to deliver. This is where SLA or Service Level Agreement comes in. If you think your uptime expectations are not being met, ask your ISP. Professional business internet service providers compensate you in the form of credits, discounts and early contract termination, etc.

Ask for Data Caps:

Certain Internet Service Providers will impose bandwidth limits or data caps and then charge a higher rate. Data caps are much more common with residential connections, although they are found in DSL, fiber business plans and cables. If you have a heavy usage, it is good to inquire about the data caps beforehand.

Contract Length:

How long you would be obligated to stay with your chosen Internet Service Provider? The average contract length is 2 years, although there are some shorter term offers as well. There are other important aspects to look for, such as an early termination fee, free trial period etc.

Net Neutrality:

In reference to the net neutrality that came into effect on April 2018, ISPs are able to sell more speed to the people who make the highest bids, this is also something for you to consider.

Besides this, one of the major considerations when you hire an Internet Service Provider is that you should read the fine print carefully including the Terms of service and all included policies.

Review the use of the service, bandwidth caps and data carefully, as this may affect your business.

In case you need VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol, which is a newer digital telephone service used for sending and receiving calls over the Internet, you should seek the service of VoIP service providers. Your existing Internet service provider may also offer VoIP services.  Inquiring with them may save you time and money.