Selecting a business broadband provider can be confusing. To make sure you’re comparing “apples to apples,” use this simple checklist. In the first two columns, indicate which features are priorities for your business. Then, as you shop for a broadband provider, use the last three columns to track whether each provider offers the features as part of their monthly service fee.
Features to Look for |
Importance to You |
Service Provider A |
Service Provider B |
Service Provider C |
| Service (What level of customer service can you expect?) |
Unlimited Internet access |
1 2 3 |
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Speed and bandwidth of your choice |
1 2 3 |
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Service Level Agreement (SLA) |
1 2 3 |
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24/7/365 Technical Support |
1 2 3 |
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Reputation for customer service (www.broadbandreports.com) |
1 2 3 |
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Dedicated account manager |
1 2 3 |
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Electronic billing and payment |
1 2 3 |
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| Quality (How good is the service quality?) |
Quality of Service (QoS) |
1 2 3 |
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Full service provisioning, activation and installation (or self install option) |
1 2 3 |
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Premium grade router |
1 2 3 |
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| Reliability (How reliable is the service?) |
Equal sending and receiving speeds |
1 2 3 |
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Dedicated circuit (not shared with your phone or other businesses) |
1 2 3 |
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Network with “backup” routes for traffic |
1 2 3 |
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| Value (“What do you get for your financial investment?”) |
Built-in business firewall protection |
1 2 3 |
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Anti-virus/anti-spam protection |
1 2 3 |
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Equipment warranty protection |
1 2 3 |
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Guaranteed pricing (no “fine print”) |
1 2 3 |
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Financial stability of company |
1 2 3 |
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| Innovation (Will the service keep up as my company grows?) |
National network coverage |
1 2 3 |
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Enterprise-wide solutions |
1 2 3 |
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Network engineered for future technologies |
1 2 3 |
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| Choices (What are the “bells and whistles”?) |
Wide menu of broadband products |
1 2 3 |
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Routable IP addresses |
1 2 3 |
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Number of e-mail addresses |
1 2 3 |
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Vanity e-mail address |
1 2 3 |
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Web hosting |
1 2 3 |
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File Transfer Protocol (FTP) |
1 2 3 |
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Remote e-mail access (Web mail) |
1 2 3 |
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