When selecting an important service like your internet service provider, you want to make sure that you know what options are available. In a given area, you may only have two or three providers to choose from, so you want to gather as much information as possible before making a decision. There have been impressive leaps in internet service in the past few years, and consumers have more choices than ever before. When comparing home internet providers, there are several things to consider.
Here are the most important things you should consider when comparing home internet providers.
Costs
Different ISPs have different offerings, so naturally, they will have different price points. How much you are willing to pay will depend on your daily internet usage. If you have multiple people working from home on video conference calls multiple times a day, it will be worth it to pay extra for more bandwidth. However, if your household isn’t full of heavy internet users, you’re safe to save some money and opt for a less expensive option.
Speed and Reliability
Greater bandwidth usually equals more speed, but you have to look at upload speed as well as download speed. Going back to our WFH with a lot of video calls example, you’ll need fast upload speeds to avoid lag. Your upload speed is how fast you can send information, while your download speed is how fast you can receive it. A faster upload speed will ensure that your colleagues can hear you on the other end.
It’s also important to have a reliable connection. Even if you primarily use the internet for streaming video or gaming, a spotty connection will be disruptive. If you work remotely, those interruptions are much more than just annoying.
Availability and Type of Connection
There are multiple types of internet connections currently available, including cable broadband, DSL, satellite, and fiberoptic. DSL and satellite are more common in remote areas where the infrastructure is not present for other types of connections. Cable broadband is the most common, as it uses the existing phone lines. Fiberoptic is the fastest and most reliable internet connection type, so if it’s available in your area, it’s the connection we recommend.
