In the world of business, we've all heard the promises of "business grade Internet." It's the allure of superior performance, lower latency, and guaranteed reliability that makes companies open their wallets wider. But, let's burst that bubble right away. The so-called "business grade Internet" is a myth, a mirage that's been perpetuated for far too long. In reality, when it comes to the Internet, whether it's over broadband, business fiber, or any other specific medium, the playing field is remarkably level.
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The Great Equalizer | The Internet
Here's the hard truth: business fiber is no better than consumer fiber. The perceived benefits of "business grade" services, like better latency or throughput, are largely imaginary. Gamers on consumer fiber are more demanding than the average business user relying on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. The result? They all experience the same outages, disruptions due to third-party interference, and dreaded load shedding.
Shouting Louder Gets You Fixed Faster
The age-old belief that if you pay more, you'll get faster service is nothing more than a fairy tale. In reality, it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. It's the client with a special relationship with the ISP's CEO or director who gets their issues resolved faster. When the inevitable outage strikes, that extra spending becomes meaningless. It merely provides you with an artificial belief that you have a superior product. In colloquial terms, we'd call it "lipstick on a pig." In practical terms, in means the service level agreements are constantly blown out the water.
The ISP | The Secondary Problem
Now, let's address the elephant in the room - the Internet Service Provider (ISP). Not all ISPs are created equal. Some are cowboys with cheap networking equipment, while others employ top-of-the-line solutions. The underlying fiber infrastructure might be perfect, but the ISP providing the Internet service over it often fails more frequently than the underlying infrastructure. Load shedding, deviant backhoes, and the notorious "fat fingers" in the ISP's operations all contribute to the chaos.
The Choice of ISP Matters
In local discussions, you'll hear the chatter on WhatsApp groups where some users have Internet, while others are left stranded, all because they've chosen different ISPs. The bottom line is that businesses must move away from relying on a single fiber supplier and a single ISP. No matter what the charming salesman promises, remember, his lips are moving.
The Solution | SD-WAN and Network Redundancy
To truly achieve "business grade Internet," companies need a paradigm shift. The key is to have multiple underlays of fiber and wireless, combined with the inherent automation of Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN). This combination is the only way to dramatically improve your uptime and ensure business continuity.
Do the Math
Let's do the math. Convert from costly Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) business fiber to broadband-based fiber and wireless, add SD-WAN with its advanced visibility, performance, security, and automation benefits, and you'll have a superior solution with significantly improved uptime at similar costs.
The Bottom Line
It's time to dispel the myth of "business grade Internet" and embrace a more pragmatic, cost-effective, and resilient approach to connectivity. Don't be fooled by the lipstick; it's time to focus on building true network resilience and reliability.
Ronald Bartels ensures that Internet inhabiting things are connected reliably online at Fusion Broadband South Africa - the leading specialized Last Mile SD-WAN provider in South Africa. Learn more about the best SD-WAN in the world: 👉 Contact Fusion🚀
