Internet connectivity has become critical to day-to-day business operation. That’s why many connectivity providers offer business internet for companies that rely on internet-driven applications like cloud services, IoT devices, and more. But what about home businesses? If you already have connectivity for your home, do you need business internet? 

Residential vs. Business Internet

While it can be tempting to assume residential and business internet are the same thing, there are important differences to consider if you’re working from or running a business out of your home. 

Most people are familiar with residential internet. It’s a standardized offering usually involving broadband or fiber connectivity (if fiber is available in your area) that you share with other homes. You can usually choose the speed of your service depending on your provider’s offerings, but other than that options are limited.

Business internet is designed to deliver the reliable connectivity owners need to keep their businesses up and running. This means business internet comes with more options such as more—potentially faster—bandwidth to choose from, symmetrical speeds (which means upload and download speeds are equal), more robust customer service, management options, and even guaranteed reliability and repair times per an SLA (service level agreement). 

Can I use residential internet for business?

Business internet is designed to ensure businesses receive the connectivity their business demands, whether that’s online ordering, video conferencing or streaming, accessing cloud-based solutions, and more. So, if you operate a business from home, can you use residential internet?

The answer is yes. But it’s important to consider how reliant your business is on your connectivity. If the residential internet goes down in your neighborhood, how long can your business tolerate the disruption? What tools (such as a VoIP phone solution) will become inoperable during an outage? What kind of communication will you receive from your provider in the event of a residential outage in terms when connectivity will be restored?

When residential internet goes out, business comes to a halt. But with business internet, you have a lot more provider communication and options to ensure if connectivity is lost, it won’t impact your business for longer than your business can withstand.

Help your business succeed with the right connectivity 

Deciding if you need business internet is a key decision. Contact your connectivity provider and talk to them about the differences between residential and business internet. Ask questions about the options you can take advantage of with business internet to see if it’s right for your needs. That way you can feel confident that whatever connectivity you choose, it will keep you open for business.

Find out if Frontier has fiber connectivity your area, and learn more about how our Fiber Business Internet can help your business thrive.