Do you recall how working from home before the pandemic was viewed more like a luxury? It was only limited to a few industries that explicitly allowed remote work while the rest preferred traditional work settings. According to the American Community Survey, the number of employees working from home in 2019 was 5.5%, which quickly tripled to 17.9% in 2 years.
Fast forward to 2024, most of the companies are still counting on the WFH setups as the shift demonstrated multiple benefits. For instance, it comes with flexible schedules, the money and time spent on the commute is zero, the work-life balance is significantly enhanced, and all these lead to more productivity and efficiency.
Thus, the entire perspective on this mode of work has dramatically changed from a temporary necessity to a long-term lifestyle. Most people, including myself, have become so used to this setting that I honestly cannot see myself returning to the constraints of a conventional office environment. Nothing beats working from the comfort of your bed with a cup of morning coffee in your hands. Ah, love the feeling!
Internet: The Most Critical Tool for Working from Home
Now that we have started embracing the work-from-home environment, the importance of internet service (preferably a good one) has become evident. It would not be wrong to say that it is the foundation of a successful work environment, regardless of the type of work and the industry. Burning Glass Technologies recently did a study and found out that almost 80% of middle-skill employees cannot function without the internet, as they require digital skills. It would be a total nightmare to maintain productivity without a reliable network.
If you are wondering how you would know which provider is best for the type of job you do, then fret not, we have got it covered for you. Keep reading to find out what are some of the aspects that you must evaluate when choosing an internet service for your house.
Choosing a Reliable and Steady Internet for WFH
As working from home becomes more widespread, the quality of your connection can directly affect the quality of your work. Therefore, it is imperative that you never go wrong with this important decision. To help you choose the best network and internet plans, we have done the research for you and compiled key factors to consider before settling on one.
Data Caps
Does your work include intense data-driven analytics and cloud computing? If the answer is yes, you probably need a network with zero data caps. For starters, data caps are limitations on how much data you can use in a given time. Many ISPs and service providers impose data caps to make people get higher tiers of service that are a little expensive.
What you need to do is look for providers that come with no data caps, so that you do not have to worry about exceeding limits. In case, you are already looking for providers in this regard, Xfinity is a great option. Along with this feature, you will also experience decent speeds and affordable plans.
Type of Connection
Another important element to keep in mind is the type of connection you choose. For that, let us quickly go through some of the major connection types of the internet.
Cable Internet
As the name suggests, it is a type of broadband connection that uses cable television infrastructure to offer high-speed internet. The speeds in this type of connection can go up to 100 Mbps. Cable internet is best for large families as you can save money by bundling with cable TV.
Fiber Internet
Fiber internet uses fiber-optic cables with glass filaments instead of copper fires to transmit signals. This means these cables carry light very well to large distances without any distortion. How fancy is that? They are much faster than the conventional copper wires. Can you guess the speed? That was close! Fiber internet provides speeds up to 1000 Mbps.
Fun fact: A fiber cable is as thin as a human hair, but it can send data 65,000 times faster than a copper cable.
DSL Internet
DSL stands for digital subscriber line, and it uses the voice frequency of telephone lines for sending and receiving internet data. It is not a favorite connection type of most people as you only get to enjoy high speeds when near the DSL provider. However, the connection has no data caps, and it is quite budget-friendly.
Satellite Internet
This is a connection type where accessing the internet is done through geostationary satellites. Unlike the above, satellite internet is not location-dependent, offering global coverage. Are the speeds good? Not really! If you are expecting speeds more than 100 Mbps then satellite internet is not for you. Is it expensive? Yes! There is a set-up equipment fee that is quite pricy and so are the repairs. However, it is the best option for people living in rural areas, as there is no need for telephone lines.
Internet Speed and bandwidth
Do you know how speed and bandwidth are related? Or do you think they are the same? Well, there are clear differences between the two. When we say speed, we are talking about the maximum rate at which data is transmitted. It is measured in Mbps and Gbps.
Fun Fact: Did you know Monaco offers the fastest internet speed in the world? The speeds can reach up to 261.82 Mbps. Second on the list is Singapore with 255 Mpbs, followed by Hong Kong with 254 Mbps.
On the other hand, bandwidth refers to the maximum amount of data that a connection can measure or handle. So, you see, speed is the maximum rate and bandwidth is the maximum amount of data. Bandwidth is also measured in the same unit as speed.
Keeping the speed and bandwidth in check will help you get your work done in a seamless way, especially if other people are using the internet at home.
Customer Support
It is 2024, and it is high time we give the due respect to people and businesses that value your time and money. The best way to know if an ISP is worth your time and money is by analyzing their customer service. Many people find it insignificant to take this factor into account. They only realize how wrong they were when there is a sudden issue with the network in the middle of an important work assignment.
Therefore, do not forget to check reviews on how the company treats its customers when choosing internet service.
Wrapping Up
Choosing the Internet for work is as important as the work itself. You have to be really careful and consider everything, from the pricing to the type of connection. Yes, it is a time-consuming process but it surely is worth the effort because you do not want to face internet issues every other day along with work dilemmas. This brings us to the end of this article and we hope it helped you choose a reliable network for your home.
Let us know in the comments if you have already settled on a network and the feature that you like most about it.
