With the world so interconnected, it is important to have a good internet connection to prevent lagging and disconnecting during crucial moments like an online meeting. To start your journey of finding the best internet service provider (ISP), you can always search the internet for providers near you and compare internet plans. However, even after doing so, some may be hesitant to come to a conclusion on which provider to use as many other factors come into play.
In this article, we will share the top considerations to think about before committing to any ISP.
7 Considerations
Before diving into the considerations, a better understanding of what an ISP does, they are a company that acts as a gateway to provide users access to the public internet. As your main ISP, they will be responsible for providing assistance and assigning IP addresses for the client’s devices.
1. Connection Type: Fibre, Copper or Wireless
Even after deciding on which ISP you would like to engage with, there is still the question of which type of internet connection to choose from. One of the more popular options will be fibre broadband, simply because it provides the user with high performance and high speed.
Some companies may offer wireless internet through a receiver unit that they would install within the user’s space. For some, this may be a better option as there is no need for laying lines around the house at a new place. However, users have to take note that wireless internet may not perform as well as the fibre counterpart due to certain limitations in the different connection types.
2. Speed of Internet: Download and Upload
Oftentimes, the first thing we look at when looking to get a new broadband connection would be the download and upload speed that is provided by the ISP. Users who are more inclined to get faster download speed would have to be prepared for the higher costs that come along with the plans and package that the ISP offers.
However, most plans that are offered these days provide a download speed that is more than enough for simple everyday tasks. Instead, it is recommended to look out for an ISP that provides a plan with the internet speed that is desired and falls well within the budget.
With that in mind, a higher download speed will allow users to have a shorter download time and better streaming qualities. This is important for users who are frequent users of streaming applications like Netflix and Youtube. If you are one who prefers video calls over voice calls, it is also important to consider getting a package that provides good upload speed so there would not be as much of a lag between both parties.
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3. Understanding Fair Usage Policy
For regular users of the internet, the Fair Usage Policy (FUP) should not be anything new. Most ISP provides unlimited internet plan to their clients, but there would be an upper limit to the network speed after a certain amount of data has been exhausted.
To put it simply, when your ISP offer 100Mbps speed that comes along with a 100GB data cap, upon reaching the cap, the internet speed will then be reduced significantly.
Some may find this unfair but it is actually to ensure fairness. With a limited bandwidth that they can offer to their users, heavy downloaders will take most of its speed away, in turn causing other users to suffer slow internet. Therefore, with the data cap in place, it will create a fair environment for all users.
4. Easy to Access
One thing to take note of is the accessibility of the platforms the ISP provides for its users. When the time to change your plan or add on certain features comes by, it will be troublesome if there are a number of hurdles that the users have to go through before their requests reach.
The best would be for ISP to have their own application or website for their users. It would be good if the applications and web portals provide real-time information on monthly data usage as well as other useful information for users to refer to.
Another thing to look out for would be the costs that may not be outright mentioned when you purchase the plan. Some things to look out for would be the payment method that the ISP offers do they prefer an upfront installation cost or a security deposit. For contract-based plans, will there be additional charges if the plan is prematurely terminated?
5. Data Rollover & Pause Connection
Another thing to look out for would be the data rollover scheme that most ISP should have in place. For users who have not exhausted the entirety of their data cap, it should then be transferred to the next month for future use without any extra fees.
This concept comes in handy when users head off for vacation and are unable to fully consume their data. Some ISPs also provide the option to pause and withhold the broadband connection for a small fee. This comes into play when users will not be using it for a couple of months. Instead of surrendering the entire connection, it allows users to quickly resume the connection when they choose to do so.
6. Promotions and Gifts
To further incentivise the public to opt for their services, many ISPs offer bundle deals and gifts to attract and convince more to choose their brand. Oftentimes, ISPs provide free subscriptions to platforms such as Disney+ and Hulu that comes along with their unlimited plans. In this case, it can be an additional perk when users are comparing plans between different ISPs.
7. Customer Support
Apart from the above-mentioned points, it is important to consider the customer support that ISPs offer. When faced with an internet connection that is not working well, the last thing that you would want is to handle difficult service support. Proper customer support will ensure you get the best advice and assistance when the situation calls for it.
Conclusion
The last thing one should do is to look up reviews and feedback on customers’ experiences with the brand. Platforms like Reddit may provide a clearer picture of how the brand operates and what customers may have faced from their decision in the respective ISP.
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