Business owners often look for the best Internet solution for their staff and crucial departments. As such, it is essential to learn about the different types of bandwidth features and the connection quality of varying Internet options.
Small and medium-sized business owners may benefit from implementing dedicated Internet access, especially when operating vital applications from a data center. Often, dedicated Internet access is a better choice than best-effort business Internet. For more details, visit here.
Yet, how much does dedicated Internet cost? To learn more about dedicated Internet versus best-effort business Internet, the features of this choice, and the standard pricing of dedicated Internet, keep reading the information below.
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What Is Dedicated Internet Access?
Dedicated Internet access consists of three different types, which are
- Dedicated fiber or fast ethernet
- Dedicated fixed wireless
- Ethernet over copper / T-1 / T-3
While dedicated fixed wireless works almost as well as dedicated fiber, ethernet over copper / T-1 / T-3 is an older version from the past. You will find that dedicated Internet access provides guaranteed bandwidth with faster upload speed. Due to the better features, however, dedicated Internet access tends to cost more than best-effort business Internet.
What Is Best-Effort Business Internet?
Best effort business Internet is not much different than the best effort Internet people use in their homes. In these situations, one’s bandwidth gets shared among a consumer group.
Therefore, if the office next door or business across the street has the same website up on a few laptops, traffic congestion may occur if the carrier did not provide an adequate amount of bandwidth.
Further, best-effort business Internet is advertised at its maximum speeds, and a company is much more likely to see slower speeds than promised depending on the amount of traffic.
Why Is Dedicated Internet Access the Better Choice?
There are numerous reasons dedicated Internet access is a better choice than best-effort business Internet. For instance, best-effort Internet has much slower upload speeds than their download speeds. However, dedicated Internet has faster upload speeds.
The best part of dedicated Internet access is that one doesn’t have to share the bandwidth with any other customers. The bandwidth is all for one’s business. It also has a symmetric platform in which the upload and download speeds remain identical.
The Top Features of Dedicated Internet
The best features of dedicated Internet include
- Better customer support and maintenance
- Improved connection quality
- Symmetric bandwidth
- Guaranteed bandwidth
- More likely to reach purchased bandwidth speed
Dedicated Internet access customers get a response time of four hours or less from a customer support specialist after filing a problem with the carrier. Customers also get a dedicated account manager to help ensure their Internet access remains functional.
Dedicated Internet access has also shown better outcomes in terms of connection quality as compared to the best-effort Internet option. Symmetric bandwidth ensures fast upload and download speeds.
The best features also include guaranteed bandwidth. Customers are more likely to reach the bandwidth speed they bought with dedicated Internet access as compared to best-effort Internet. For example, those who purchased a 100Mbps DIA circuit will obtain 100Mbps of bandwidth 100 percent of the time.
Typical Dedicated Internet Pricing
The standard 100 Mbps business cable connection, such as through best-effort Internet, can cost $100 to $200 per month. However, the same bandwidth using dedicated Internet access typically costs about $1,000 per month.
Yet, the pricing does vary greatly depending on the carrier and the location of the service. On average, the monthly cost for 100 Mbps of dedicated Internet access costs $926 per month while 500 Mbps of dedicated Internet access amounts to $1,614 every month.
Comparing Best Effort Business Internet Prices with Dedicated Internet Costs
The average monthly cost of best-effort Internet service is $120. However, dedicated Internet fees are always higher. The average cost of 100 Mbps of dedicated Internet access is $926 per month. The cost of each bandwidth tier grows even more.
For example, the average monthly cost of 1 Gbps of dedicated Internet access is $1,921. Lastly, the average price of 10 Gbps of dedicated Internet access is $4,808 per month.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dedicated Internet Access
Below, you can find out the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about dedicated Internet and its costs.
How much is a dedicated fiber line?
The costs of a dedicated fiber line will depend on the carrier and the service location. While the average monthly cost for 100 Mbps of dedicated Internet access is $926, some carriers can provide costs as low as $480 or $500.
Further, one will need to consider the standard installation fee. The typical installation fee is often around $1,500 for 100 Mbps of a dedicated fiber line.
While dedicated Internet does cost more than best-effort Internet, it tends to offer better outcomes. It provides faster speed including faster upload speeds than the best-effort Internet. Customers also benefit from having their own bandwidth without sharing it with other consumers.
Lastly, dedicated Internet access services provide better customer service and maintenance than that of best-effort business Internet.
Is dedicated Internet worth it?
Companies with mission-critical operations and busy data centers greatly benefit from having better bandwidth and faster speeds including quick upload speeds due to dedicated Internet access. Symmetric bandwidth means upload speeds equal fast download speeds. Customers get guaranteed bandwidth and a strong service delivery design.
The service-level agreement or contract also entitles customers to agreed-upon bandwidth and uptime. Essentially, despite the higher cost, dedicated Internet access is worth it for most businesses.
The Final Word
Dedicated Internet access services do cost significantly more than best-effort business Internet. Instead of spending around $100 to $200 per month, customers have to pay approximately $1,000 per month on average.
However, the guaranteed bandwidth, symmetric bandwidth, and better connection quality of dedicated Internet access mean that it is generally a better choice for businesses nationwide. When a company has the funds to spare, dedicated Internet access is usually the better option.