Internet Connectivity
What's available?
There are many methods of connecting a building to the internet, and it largely depends on the amount of users you have and the demands you're likely to place on it. With businesses now moving towards a cloud hosted model for many of their services, such as VoIP and Microsoft Office 365, the bandwidth requirements and stability are more important than ever before. For a small branch office an ADSL connection delivered over copper is a quick, easy and cost effective method of connectivity, but for a corporate office or business that works with large amounts of data (media agency for example) then nothing beats a dedicated Ethernet circuit.
ADSL
Typical home broadband style connection. ADSL is delivered over copper wires that were traditionally used for telephone lines. The technology behind it has improved so much that you can now get good bandwidth at a very low cost. There are drawbacks though. The copper wires in use in overhead cabling and underground ducts can often be decades old, and they suffer from a lack of preventative maintenance. Cold and wet weather can allow moisture into cable joints which causes interference and, ultimately, faults and failures which can be difficult and time consuming to diagnose. We would recommend ADSL as a backup circuit, or for a non-mission critical branch office or home user.
FTTx
Fibre To The... Cabinet (FTTC) or Premises (FTTP). This is a form of internet connectivity that many will know as SUPERfast or ULTRAfast broadband. Using fibre optic technology it can significantly increase the bandwidth available at a property or premises. FTTC uses fibre from the local exchange up to the local cabinet (those green boxes at the side of the road) and then uses copper wires for the last section. FTTP is a complete fibre all the way. These are faster and more reliable than ADSL and come at a slightly higher cost, but can give you more than enough bandwidth to run an office.
Generic Ethernet Acces (GEA) or Ethernet over FTTC
This is an entry level form of Ethernet connection that is delivered over FTTC connections. It is fully uncontended and gives you a direct connection straight to the internet using infrastructure that is readily available and at significantly less cost than a full Ethernet solution. The bandwidths available are not as high as a full ethernet circuit, but the costs and installation times are reduced.
Ethernet or Leased line
The best you can get. High availability, fast fault resolution times governed by an SLA and as much or as little bandwidth as you want. A leased line connection is entirely yours, all the way back to the exchange where it has a direct connection to the internet. Couple this with an ADSL or FTTx backup and you have enterprise grade connectivity. Installation can take a while, depending on the infrastructure already in place, but for our corporate customers this is the best solution.
3G/4G/5G and Satellite
Not ideal for a permanent solution, but they do have their uses. Temporary offices, construction site offices, mobile workers and mobile devices can all benefit from the latest in wireless technology. Fast internet speeds can be gained instantly for an emergency solution and can be picked up and deployed elsewhere at the drop of a hat. Data only SIMs with large bundles of data allowance can keep costs to a minimum. Ideal for mobile workforce tablets.