A baseball pitch. A cruise control setting. A video upload. What do these things have in common?

They can all be quantified in speeds. Most people, however, are only familiar with how speed relates to the first two. Miles per hour already makes sense to everyone, whether it be a fastball or a Ferrari. Megabits per second… not so much.

Let’s shed some light on internet speeds and how it relates to your business needs.

Fast Facts

Internet speed, also referred to as bandwidth, is simply how much data can be uploaded or downloaded in a second. This impacts everything from emails to video calls, and it affects everyone using internet in your business. The speed is split amongst everyone simultaneously using it. It’s a lot like the donuts Brett from HR brought in. They’re divvied up by everyone who wants to eat one. Internet is similar... if your network operates at 500 Mbps and four people are downloading a PDF, their downloads will be at 125 Mbps each.

The measurement is clocked in megabits per second (Mbps), and a broadband Internet is defined by the FCC as having a minimum download speed of 25 Mbps and upload speed of 3 Mbps. So, if you’re downloading a 25 Mb presentation on an FCC-minimum broadband connection, it should theoretically take one second. If you’re uploading it, it’ll take a little more than eight seconds. A few factors can affect those speeds, though, including Wi-Fi connection, number of people using the internet, even the location of your router or internet source.

What does my business need?

A fast and reliable connection will keep productivity humming and limit many dreaded technical difficulties. Collaboration will be more seamless and efforts more efficient.

As you determine which speed your business needs, consider these three D’s:

• Duties – How data-heavy and data-dependent are your operations?
• Demand – How many people need to be connected?
• Devices – How many devices will need to be connected?

The more operations, people and devices your business has, the faster speeds it will need. Fortunately, altafiber offers a range of business packages to suit a variety of business needs, with broadband rates between 600 and 1000Mbps (1 Gig). You’ll also have the added benefit of being connected to a future-proof fiber network that’s more reliable and more sustainable than other internet options. In fact, Cincinnati is the most fiber-dense region in the nation. altafiber covers 77% of Greater Cincinnati homes and businesses with fiber to the premises. Even better, our fiber network speeds far exceed the FCC’s benchmark. Learn more about why fiber is superior here.

When talking about these "speeds", we must pay attention to both download and upload speeds. Download speed is how quickly you can get something from the internet, like reading emails or watching a show on Netflix. Upload speed is how quickly you can get something to the internet, like uploading files or presenting your screen during a teleconference meeting.

Often, ISPs (Internet Service Providers) will significantly cut back on upload speeds, but not with altafiber. Our upload rates range from 300 to 500 Mbps, which runs circles around the FCC’s standard. Compared to cable competitors like Spectrum, altafiber has the technological advantage to offer faster speeds, both download and upload, which give your business more opportunities and fewer headaches. How much faster? Fiber can clock in at rates twice as speedy as the fastest available cable rates. With that in mind, our superior customer service becomes the icing on the cake.

To take your business above and beyond, connect with altafiber and explore our business page to get set up with a solution that fits for your needs. With Fioptics Internet, things like livestreams, telehealth and cloud-based operations are now not only possible, they are practically flawless. Get started today!