Behind any high-performing business, there’s a common investment that is prioritized: robust network infrastructure that can power operations and guarantee business continuity.
The question isn’t if your business needs enterprise-grade fibre internet, but rather which type of connection will meet your needs. Let’s explore the key differences between shared vs. dedicated internet and how they compare across several critical factors for business success.
What is a shared internet connection?
A shared internet connection divides a fixed amount of bandwidth among multiple users in an area. At any given time, your organization competes for available capacity with neighbouring businesses.
Think of shared fibre internet as a busy multi-lane highway, with everyone trying to reach the same destination. While you’ll get there eventually, sometimes you get stuck in traffic along the way. During rush hour, when everyone is online, you may experience slower speeds, which can disrupt employee productivity and the customer experience.
What is a dedicated internet connection?
With a dedicated connection, your business has a direct, private connection to your internet service provider (ISP)’s network. You receive guaranteed bandwidth exclusively reserved for your organization, with fast, consistent, and reliable connectivity at all times of day. Imagine an express lane built just for your company. You can fly through your private road at full speed, with no traffic and no interruptions.
Dedicated connections also offer symmetrical upload and download speeds, which is crucial for operating bandwidth-intensive applications like cloud applications and video conferencing.
How shared vs. dedicated internet compare for enterprise needs
Shared vs. dedicated fibre internet can deliver vastly different results for enterprise operations—here’s how they stack up across four key areas.
Performance & Reliability
Shared Business Fibre
- Unpredictable performance: Since performance varies depending on network traffic, shared fibre can’t provide the needed internet reliability for companies with mission-critical applications. This can be frustrating and costly. One study found that Canadian hybrid workers lose an average of three hours a week dealing with IT issues.
- Peak-usage disruptions: During high usage periods, network congestion may lead to video calls freezing or cloud applications crashing during critical moments.
- No service guarantees: ISPs typically do not offer any uptime promises for shared connections, which leaves your business vulnerable to outages.
Dedicated Business Fibre
- Consistent and symmetrical upload and download speeds: A direct connection provides consistent upload and download speeds, so mission-critical tools can operate smoothly without competing for bandwidth.
- Enhanced application performance: 92% of Canadian companies use some form of cloud computing. Guaranteed bandwidth ensures that cloud applications like CRM systems and collaboration tools can run smoothly at all times.
- Service Level Agreement (SLA) protection: SLAs guarantee that you receive promised levels of bandwidth, speed, and uptime, which can protect you from costly disruptions.
Security
Shared Business Fibre
- Increased vulnerability: Using shared network infrastructure can increase your exposure to cyber threats and breaches, especially if you don’t have proper cybersecurity measures in place.
- Basic protection: Many ISPs only offer basic security measures, which may be insufficient for businesses with data or compliance standards.
Dedicated Business Fibre
- Private network: In 2023, Canadian businesses spent $1.2 billion recovering from cybersecurity incidents. A direct connection without shared infrastructure can significantly reduce your exposure to external security threats.
- Enterprise-grade security: Dedicated fibre ensures you have consistent bandwidth to support security applications like firewalls, VPN servers, and cloud DDoS protection services.
Scalability
Shared Business Fibre
- Limited growth potential: Upgrading your bandwidth doesn’t guarantee better performance, since you’re still on a shared network. As your business grows, you may quickly outpace what shared infrastructure can deliver.
Dedicated Business Fibre
- Flexible bandwidth: Whether you plan to add more team members or support emerging business technologies like AI tools or IoT devices, dedicated connections allow you to scale while maintaining consistent performance across your entire network.
Cost & Value
Shared Business Fibre
- Lower upfront costs: Shared fibre is a cost-effective option for residential use or very basic business operations.
Dedicated Business Fibre
- Greater ROI: Dedicated internet requires a higher initial investment, but mitigates the long-term costs associated with downtime and lost productivity. It also frees up your technical team from network troubleshooting, allowing them to focus on strategic IT planning.
Transform your business with dedicated fibre
The decision between shared vs. dedicated internet comes down to understanding your business's priorities, budget, and network requirements. For enterprise operations that need reliability, performance, and scalability, dedicated fibre outperforms shared connections.
For fast and secure business-grade internet in Ottawa-Gatineau, hiboo networks’s Dedicated Internet Access provides peak performance, with no slowdowns or interruptions.
Experience the difference of dedicated fibre. Schedule a consultation with a local connectivity expert, or give us a call at (613) 800-8140!
FAQs
What is the main difference between shared and dedicated internet?
A shared internet connection divides bandwidth among multiple users in a particular area, which can result in slower speeds and increased latency during peak usage times. With dedicated internet, you have a direct and private connection to your ISP. You receive guaranteed bandwidth that is exclusively for your business, and internet performance is not affected by external network congestion.
Is dedicated internet worth the extra cost for a business?
While dedicated fibre internet requires a higher initial investment, it’s important to factor in long-term costs of poor connectivity. Unreliable internet can lead to downtime, losses in productivity, and even a damaged business reputation. If your business depends on tools such as video conferencing, VoIP systems, cloud applications, or remote collaboration tools for daily operations, the guaranteed performance of dedicated fibre is worthwhile and cost-effective over time.
What is symmetrical speed and why does it matter?
Symmetrical speed refers to equal upload and download speeds. This is crucial for businesses that frequently use bandwidth-intensive applications like video conferencing, large file transfers, and cloud services. With symmetrical speeds, for example, one team member can back up important documents to the cloud while another team member downloads large video files from a client, with both activities operating at full speed without competing for bandwidth.