Best Internet Service Providers for Small Businesses (2023)

Sat, Jan 7, 2023 4:25 AM Internet Bundles

Which small business internet service is the finest?

Verizon Business is the best internet service for small businesses. It offers DSL and fiber connections to suit a wide range of speed requirements and budgets. You can choose from plans with speeds as low as 3 Mbps to the fastest package offered at 1,000 Mbps. Customer satisfaction with Verizon Business is also very high.

What Should You Look For In A Small Business Internet Provider?

You need an internet service that is stable, cost-effective, and fast enough to meet your company's requirements. It should also have excellent customer service that can quickly resolve difficulties so that your day-to-day activities are not disrupted.

Consider scalability as well. Is your internet service capable of handling your expanding business? Look for a provider that lets you upgrade (or downgrade) as needed without requiring you to pay excessive costs.

Other crucial elements to consider are security and stability. Malware, spyware, and hackers should not be a problem for your small business if your internet provider has the capabilities to secure it. It should also have a backup link to keep your online services running in the event of a server failure.

Verizon - Best Overall

$47.99–$249.99/mo.
Great customer service
Fast fiber plans
DSL options

If Verizon Fios is available in your location, it is the greatest internet connection for a small business. It has symmetrical upload and download speeds, so your uploads and downloads are in sync. If you're uploading huge files to a distant server on a regular basis, this is a crucial aspect to consider.

Overall, Verizon Business is the second-most affordable gigabit package on our list, trailing only Spectrum Business. The disadvantage is that Verizon Business requires a contract, which can last anywhere from one to three years depending on the package, whereas Spectrum Business does not. Despite this, Verizon's fiber internet provides the same upload and download speeds as Spectrum's cable internet. For upload speed and dependability, we recommend fiber.

Verizon Business also has several good bundles. For $249 per month, you can get a 940 Mbps service with one VoIP line (with a two-year agreement). Verizon also provides corporate internet and TV bundles, which are ideal for showing local channels to clients, as well as bundles that combine all three services into a single low-cost package.

AT&T Business - Best For Customer Satisfaction

$60.00–$150.00/mo.
Best customer satisfaction
Low static IP costs
No contracts

AT&T Business rank first in terms of customer satisfaction. AT&T ranked second in our annual customer satisfaction survey for residential internet, with 864 points out of 1,000.1 This isn't surprising, as AT&T ranked second in our annual customer satisfaction survey for residential internet. From reliability to customer service, those high rankings translate to the greatest internet experience for your small business.

For its fiber and DSL services, AT&T Business offers a static IP address service. The price varies depending on the plan, but it allows you to have a permanent internet address if, for example, you're hosting a website from an on-site web server. Bundles, such as adding phone service to its 100 Mbps fiber plan for $99 per month, are also available.

Comcast Business - Best for Availability

$69.99–$339.99/mo.
1,000 Mbps top speed
24/7 local customer support
Optional static IP address

Comcast is one of the country's leading cable internet providers. Its top home internet speed is 1,200 Mbps, so we're surprised the corporate side can't match that for the greater price. All options, however, offer local customer assistance 24 hours a day, business-grade WiFi, and a gateway with a public network that your customers may access.

For a price, your company can get a static IP address, much like AT&T. Connection Pro adds an up to eight-hour backup 4G LTE connection. SecurityEdge makes your connection even safer by monitoring for threats every 10 minutes, even if you're using a public network. The Comcast Business router has a feature called SecurityEdge.

Spectrum Business - Best For No Contracts

$64.99–$149.99/mo.
Unlimited data
No contracts
4G LTE backup option

The corporate internet side of Spectrum Internet is essentially identical to the residential side (although the Ultra plan for business reaches up to 600 Mbps versus 400 Mbps with the residential version). Three different options are available, with speeds ranging from 200 to 1,000 Mbps.

The following costs are for Spectrum's internet-only plans. Bundling a phone or TV service can save you money, but the promotional rate is only good for 12 months, no matter what you choose. However, you should choose the business plans over the residential plans because they come with extra features like static IP addresses, 4G LTE backup, and Private WiFi.

Viasat Business - Best for Rural Areas

$50.00–$500.00/mo.
Speeds up to 100 Mbps in select areas
Metered and unmetered plans
Free static IP addresses

Small businesses in areas where landlines are unavailable can consider Viasat Business. The issue with satellite internet, especially Viasat Business, is that it costs more per megabit than a landline connection. On plans with unlimited data, you're also subjected to soft data limitations, which slow down your speeds once you hit a certain download limit.

A two-year contract is required for all plans. A $300 installation fee and a $10 monthly equipment lease are also required. In contrast to the other internet providers on our list, you get three free static IP addresses with each subscription. You'll also get 24-hour customer assistance and the opportunity to add VoIP service.

Specifications and characteristics of the internet for small businesses

An internet service's speed does not always imply that it is suitable for small businesses. After all, your business might not require more than 50 megabits per second. Instead, the finest internet service for small businesses should prioritize scalability, security, and support. Static IP addresses and 4G LTE backup connections are nice extras. When selecting an internet service for your business, there are a few more factors to consider.

Excellent client service
Business internet is usually accompanied by high-quality expert customer care that is available around the clock, 365 days a year. However, because each internet provider is different, be sure you ask when customer service will be available before you buy.
Dedicated internet connection
You won't have to share your internet connection with other businesses if you have a business internet package with a dedicated connection. This is a significant benefit because it allows you and your employees to stream video chat, upload papers, and download files without having to worry about other users hogging the connection.
The disadvantage is that dedicated lines are usually far more expensive than shared lines. Your monthly costs might be in the thousands of dollars.