Telecoms
Choosing the Right Business Internet Connection
Your internet connection is the lifeline of your business. Every cloud application, video call, and customer interaction depends on it. Choosing the right connection — and the right provider — is a business decision, not just a technical one.
Connection types available in Jamaica
Fiber The gold standard for business internet. Dedicated fiber offers symmetrical speeds (same upload and download), low latency, and high reliability.
Pros: Symmetrical speeds, low latency, high reliability, scalable Cons: Not available at all locations, higher cost, installation lead time
Enterprise wireless Point-to-point or point-to-multipoint microwave links from a wireless ISP.
Pros: Fast deployment, available where fiber is not, lower cost for some locations Cons: Requires line of sight, affected by heavy rain, shared bandwidth (typically)
Cable (DOCSIS) Shared coaxial cable infrastructure, typically from Flow.
Pros: Widely available, lower cost, high download speeds Cons: Asymmetrical (low upload), shared bandwidth (performance varies), less reliable than fiber
DSL Copper telephone line service.
Pros: Widely available Cons: Low speeds, distance-dependent, being phased out
What matters for business
Symmetry Businesses upload as much as they download — cloud backups, video calls, file sharing. A 100/10 Mbps cable connection is not equivalent to a 50/50 Mbps fiber connection for business use. Symmetry matters.
Contention ratio Consumer internet is shared — you share bandwidth with other users. Business internet should be dedicated or have a low contention ratio. A "100 Mbps" shared connection may deliver 20 Mbps at peak times.
SLA (Service Level Agreement) A business connection should come with an SLA that guarantees: - Uptime (typically 99.5% or better) - Response time for faults (typically 4 hours) - Repair time (typically 8 hours)
Consumer connections have no SLA. If your business depends on internet, you need an SLA.
Latency Latency affects every real-time application — VoIP, video conferencing, remote desktop. Fiber typically delivers 5-20ms to major destinations. Wireless adds 5-15ms. Cable and DSL can be 30-100ms.
Redundancy A single internet connection is a single point of failure. For critical operations, two connections from different providers, with automatic failover, is essential.
The decision framework
- Is fiber available at your location? If yes, start there.
- What is your required upload speed? This often eliminates cable and DSL.
- Do you need an SLA? If yes, consumer plans are out.
- How critical is internet to your operations? If "very," you need redundancy.
- What is your budget? Balance cost against the cost of downtime.
Common mistakes
- Choosing based on download speed only — upload matters for business
- No redundancy — one connection means one point of failure
- Consumer plan for business use — no SLA, shared bandwidth, no priority repair
- Ignoring latency — high latency breaks VoIP and video conferencing
- No backup plan — when the primary fails, what happens?
Next steps
If you are evaluating business internet, request a consultation. We assess your needs, survey available options at your location, and recommend the right connection — or combination — for your business.