As a small business owner, one of the first things you’ll need to research is your internet access. Whether it’s for a physical office or maybe a mobile option, things like pricing and speed are important to take into consideration.
As a graphic designer for both print and web, I rely heavily on fast internet. With print, I’m sending rather large files. With web, I need installation of my designs to go as smoothly as possible. But if you have a business in a different industry, can you use a more budget friendly mobile broadband option?
Technically, “mobile broadband” is a term that refers to 3G speeds or higher. What does that mean? If you need internet access for browsing the internet, emailing, social networking, or sending small files, mobile broadband should be sufficient. If there’s a chance you might need to stream a video or have a meeting over Skype, look for some 4G or higher options.
Since this is the same technology as mobile phones, most mobile providers offer mobile broadband packages. For example, AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-mobile, and Sprint all offer mobile broadband in the U.S. Vodafone is a big provider in Europe and iiNet (view iiNet’s broadband plans) in Australia. Package pricing depends on the data size allotment per month, the data speeds selected and the hardware you use.
What are the hardware options? From what I’m seeing, the cheapest plans use USB modems for their 3G service. But there are some newer USB modems I saw with 3G/4G, or just 4G LTE. The faster speed and more expensive plans seem to use the MiFi Hotspots. MiFi Hotspots are great if you have multiple devices to connect to it. The price reflects that convenience though.
Bottom line? Small business owners might want to consider the convenience of mobile broadband if your data needs aren’t huge. With the addition of newer share plans from providers, it might even be a fantastic deal to add on to your current service.
Nicole K.
This is a Sponsored Post from iiNet. All research, writing, and opinions are 100% my own.
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