Internet connectivity pain points

Unreliable internet connectivity can hold your organization back from implementing its digital strategies and hinder business-critical operations. Networks with insufficient bandwidth and inconsistent performance may cause a wide range of problems that prevent organizations from performing effectively. These issues can impact the collaborative efforts of distributed workforces, such as the ability to share large files faster, participate in videoconferencing and support cloud-based applications. In short, inconsistent internet connectivity delivers a poor experience, affecting nearly all areas of your business.

One negative impact on employees arises when a lack of sufficient bandwidth causes productivity to decline as workers wait to send or access files. According to one study, when an employee is diverted from an active work project, it takes an average of 25 minutes to refocus on their prior task.¹

Employees need reliable internet connectivity to accomplish their work, and even a brief internet disruption can be costly. The average cost of downtime across all industries has historically been about $5,600 per minute, but recent studies have shown this cost has grown to about $9,000 per minute, up to $16,000 per minute for larger businesses.² In addition to lost productivity, consider the consequences of wasted wages and missed sales opportunities.

For many organizations, a significant pain point is timely resolution of internet connectivity issues. Service alternatives like Passive Optical Network (PON) that share bandwidth among client users and do not offer a service-level agreement (SLA) for response time will often keep clients waiting days for repairs.

Delayed service can also result from partnering with more than one provider. Over time, some organizations have cobbled together multiple internet connections from various service providers. Although the partnerships might have once seemed like good investments, the resulting patchwork of connectivity is inefficient and difficult to manage due to different levels of quality, reliability and security, as well as varying SLAs.
 

According to one study, when an employee is diverted from an active work project, it takes an average of 25 minutes to refocus on their prior task.³

Using multiple providers results in a more complex problem resolution experience. Determining which provider is accountable to solve issues related to the physical cable, provider equipment or customer equipment can slow time to repair. Organizations should seek a single provider that delivers 24/7/365 U.S.-based support and is capable of resolving connectivity problems in just a few hours.

Some organizations are simply getting less than they require in terms of bandwidth, reliability, security and problem resolution. A thorough evaluation of your internet connectivity is the first step toward addressing these issues, and should answer the following questions:

• Do you have enough internet bandwidth to support critical applications?
• Are employees able to be fully productive without undue delays and downtime?
• As your organization evolves, can your Internet Service Provider (ISP) consistently deliver the services you require to all your locations?
• Can you resolve internet connectivity problems quickly without worrying about finger-pointing among multiple parties?
   

Once an evaluation is complete, steps should be taken to secure an end-to-end solution that will create a more consistent experience for both customers and employees alike.

Why organizations choose Spectrum Enterprise®

Dedicated Fiber Internet (DFI) from Spectrum Enterprise delivers the speed and reliability that enables organizations of all kinds to achieve success in the digital business era. Transform your organization with powerful internet service that delivers:

• Reliable nationwide internet connectivity with performance and support, regardless of where your employees or offices are located.
• A dedicated connection that is not shared with others and is delivered over a reliable, advanced fiber network.
• The service is backed by a 100% uptime guarantee SLA and delivers low latency, jitter and packet loss all the way into the client suite.
• Symmetrical access that scales up to 100 Gbps.
• 100%, 24/7/365 U.S.-based support and local technicians.
• Multiple physical diversity and redundancy options to help protect your network.
   

Visit enterprise.spectrum.com/Fiber to explore how Spectrum Enterprise can address your organization’s specific internet pain points and provide the right internet solution to meet your organization’s needs.

1. "Your attention span is shrinking, studies say. Here’s how to stay focused." CNN Health, May 2023.
2. “Average Cost of Downtime per Industry." Solarwinds Pingdom, January 2023.
3. Ibid.