Nearly all modern businesses rely on the internet for a significant portion of daily workflow. Whether it’s emails and cloud data storage, customer service, or order fulfillment, there are a whole host of core business functions that depend on having access to a fast and reliable internet connection. So what happens if the internet goes down? Ideally, you turn to your backup internet.

Internet backup is a type of secondary, backup internet connection that can be turned on in the event of an unexpected internet outage. This allows for a seamless continuation of business until your primary source of internet is restored. There are a number of scenarios where a backup internet connection can be helpful, and several different internet backup formats that you’ll want to consider.

How Backup Internet is Used

Internet backup can be thought of as similar to a backup electrical generator, which is only turned on in the event of a power outage. A backup internet connection serves as a failsafe, or in technical speak, an “internet failover” – when an internet outage occurs, your connectivity automatically “fails over” to this secondary connection. And just like an electrical generator, internet backup is a built-in redundancy that provides peace of mind…and then becomes something you are very grateful for when an outage eventually happens.

Why Having Internet Backup is Important for Your Business

Securing backup internet for business operations can be hugely beneficial. Here are some of its advantages – for both you and your customers.

Save Money: Internet downtime can reduce employee productivity by limiting their ability to work efficiently. But it can also cost you customers and transactions – whether that’s a potential buyer who can’t get through to customer service to have their question answered, or someone who is unable to use your payment processing software at checkout. If an outage occurs during a peak usage time—for instance, a big seasonal sale or promotion period—the cost in lost revenue can skyrocket.

Keep Internal and External Communications Flowing Smoothly: In addition to the ubiquitous use of email, many businesses function with the help of productivity tools and internal chat programs that rely on an internet connection. Backup internet prevents you from being cut off from coworkers and clients.

Preserve Mental Capital: Running a business comes with all sorts of unexpected challenges – a backup internet connection means you’ll have one less thing to worry about.

Keep Your Customers Happy: Communication, consistency, and reliability are all vital for customer happiness and retention. By securing an internet backup, you can ensure you don’t leave anyone hanging.

What Causes Internet Disruptions?

There are a number of different issues that can cause a disruption to your primary internet connection, many of which are out of your control. Here are some common scenarios that can result in an outage.

A problem at the office: A local loss of power at the office or failure of a piece of equipment can cause an outage. Someone unplugs the wrong cord, a circuit breaker is tripped, or a device overheats, and suddenly your internet connection is gone.

A problem with your primary ISP: If your internet service provider is experiencing a network issue, it can slow down or sever your internet connection.

Acts of nature that are beyond your control: Heavy rains, snowstorms, flooding, high winds and wildfires are just some of the weather-related issues that can wreak havoc on your connectivity. Unfortunately, they can also play a role in extending the amount of time it takes for your connection to be repaired and restored as well – repair teams may be hampered by the weather.

Infrastructure problems: Whether it’s caused by human error—such as a construction worker cutting the wrong cable—or a tree falling on wires, infrastructure issues can sever your connection from the rest of the world.

Accounting errors: An unpaid bill or administrative error can result in your internet being shut off until the situation is resolved. In the meantime, you’re unable to effectively communicate internally or externally.

Choosing a Backup Internet Provider

There are several different types of ISP connections that you can choose from when selecting a backup internet provider. To increase redundancy in the event of an outage, it can be a good idea to have your secondary internet source be different from your primary one. For instance, if your primary internet connection is fiber optic, you may want to utilize wireless cellular for your backup. That way, if there is a fiber optic-specific outage that occurs, it doesn’t take out both of your internet connections. Backup internet options include:

Fiber Optic: Offering very high speeds and reliability, fiber optic cables use light to transmit information.

DSL: Built off of phone line infrastructure, DSL is used by some home and small business customers.

Coaxial: Sending data through coax cable, a coaxial internet connection provides internet speeds that are lower than fiber but are still adequate for some businesses

Satellite: A popular option in rural areas where fiber optic and cable lines haven’t been installed, satellite internet allows you to connect to the internet using low Earth orbit satellites.

4G LTE: Built off of cellular network infrastructure, 4G LTE service is a wireless internet backup option that offers high speed data transfer.

Wireless Backup Internet from Frontier

If an internet connection is critical to your business operation, we’re here to provide you with peace of mind. Frontier Internet Backup runs on wireless cellular technology, delivering continued connectivity in the event that your primary source of internet goes out.

Compared to other backup methods, wireless backup internet comes with the benefit of minimal setup time and cost. Our expert technicians will travel to your place of business and install all components, ensuring that they work correctly and are primed to kick in automatically in the event of an outage. We also offer optional battery backups – meaning that even if there is a full power outage you can enjoy continued internet connectivity for up to 8 hours.

So, what is backup internet? It’s an important tool that minimizes your risk of missing out on revenue and productivity. Contact Frontier today to discuss your wireless backup internet options.