The internet infrastructure of a firm is not usually experienced as a choice by the firm. It should be installed, signed and forgotten about so the firm can move on to the more important parts of setting up shop.
Yet the choices made in that initial process constrain the firm into issues at a later stage.
Those choices are not usually experienced as an issue when they are made. A connection that is sufficient at that moment can become an operational bottleneck that influences everything from operations to the firm’s growth ambitions. The challenges are that the moments when it is an issue, it is not easy to fix and it is not quick.
Bandwidth Choices Without Growth Consideration
The most common choice that is made when establishing internet infrastructure is selecting bandwidth without consideration of growth patterns.
A firm assesses its current usage and maybe even builds in a comfortable buffer. It then chooses an internet package that corresponds to that need.
What the choice causes is exponential growth in bandwidth needs. Cloud systems, operating systems, allowing for remote access, all of this and scaling up staff numbers can exponentially grow the bandwidth requirements.
Upgrading bandwidth is not as easy as it sounds, even if it appears to be an option in the moment. Many providers will expect the firm to have a new contract that cancels the previous one early. In some locations, infrastructure challenges can mean that they can’t provide the appropriate speed without cumbersome deployment processes. What was once seen as an easy fix becomes a project.
Contended Connections Versus Dedicated Connections
Most business connections will be contended connections, meaning that it is shared with others who also use the connection. This is usually more than sufficient and a cost saving measure for most firms.
At some point, however, contended connections can become problematic.
Contended connections are also vulnerable to peak periods when various users are online using the connection. For firms that need the performance for operations such as customer service functions, this can become operationally challenging.
Transitioning from a contended connection to a dedicated connection is not the simple service upgrade it may have seemed to be. It is an expensive, multi-faceted process involving multiple providers. Engaging with corporate internet providers means that the infrastructure will be scalable and hopefully not stuck in outdated systems that cannot grow with the company’s requirements.
A single connection to the internet can be seen as a singularity of vulnerabilities. This can be an expensive mistake for firms that see themselves as small businesses today and growing firms tomorrow.
Most small to medium sized firms will accept their exposure to risk by having only one connection to the internet. The cost of having duplicate connections does not make sense at that point.
As they grow ever more reliant on connections to the internet, the cost-benefit equation changes. It is easy for firms to calculate the cost of downtime as they grow but it is not easy to unwisely move back in time and implement solid growth behaviors. Adding redundancy in the connection to the internet is not easy at this stage.
Redundant connections need to come from different providers with different infrastructures to be effective. They also need failover technology that automatically fails to backup technology when the primary connection goes down. It takes planning and implementation.
Firms that only consider implementing redundancy in connections to the internet after experiencing downtime have a bitter experience waiting for their systems to be implemented instead of feeling the protection they believe they need.
Contract Conditions That Cause Inflexibility
A long-term contract with early termination penalties may seem like a fair trade off for all the savings that it promises. It does become a problem when the needs of the firm change faster than the ceiling their contract provides.
Three-year contracts are only a threat when they lock a firm into unworkable service levels for three years. Firms need to analyze their growth patterns, needs and goals every quarter to implement this threatening situation.
A workable solution may be to pay for two separate internet systems from two separate providers; one that meets the business needs of today and another that just about meets the needs of when the contract was signed.
This is not only an expense but also an issue of infrastructure that cannot be used for what it was intended but that the firm is still relying on.
Upload Speed Not Evaluated By Businesses
Firms do not evaluate upload speed when they select their internet package. They are much more focused on download speeds as they compare packages.
Upload speed might not seem relevant in relative terms but it needs to be evaluated as well. Many firm operations depend on upload speed. Uploading files and video calling clients all need bandwidth.
Upload speeds on business packages are usually very low on connections that measure download speeds. This creates a nasty bottleneck for firms trying to perform those operations after not realizing the need for improved upload speeds for their connection types.
Upgrading upload speed can also be another complicated endeavor. Moving to a dedicated connection may be the only option available and this comes with all the complexities and cost of other systems of infrastructure resilience.
Location Internet Infrastructure Awareness
Location choices may or may not have been made with infrastructure availability in mind.
Firms need suitable connectivity to do business. Yet some locations may only have basic business connections that can be used in that area available. Location choices also relate to lease agreements with properties that are still showing promise with connections of improved connection quality at its current grade of connectivity.
Location choices now leave firms in an uncomfortable position; should they work with a low grade connection or invest an exorbitant amount of money in upgrading or should they disrupt the firm’s operations by looking for other premises?
Choose Wisely The First Time
The solution to all these challenges is making wise choices at the point of first deployment of internet infrastructure systems in firm offices.
This does not mean over-committing to purchasing bandwidth that will never be utilized. It does mean looking at options that are scalable, managing contracts better so they don’t become inflexible systems over time and working with providers who can scale their systems over time as well.
Questions to consider when initially deploying business systems may seem redundant at this time but they still need to be asked. Can this building connection easily transition systems. What would it take and how long?
With all these questions firms have each other’s back on scaling workloads without past mistakes creating cognitive distortions about what growth could look like when managed well through habitual effort and planning!
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Becky is the voice behind Life in Velvet, an organised, intentional living blog focused on practical food, calm homes, thoughtful projects, and everyday systems that make real life feel easier. A mum of 3 living in the UK, Becky writes from lived experience, sharing what works, what doesn’t, and the decisions that make family life run more smoothly.
With a background in marketing and content writing, and over a decade of blogging experience, she brings a thoughtful, structured approach to everything from baking and home projects to routines and decision-making. Life in Velvet is where planning meets creativity, with ideas designed for real homes and real life.