Minor technical hiccups, like slow file uploads or frozen video calls, may seem like common frustrations—but they could be costing your business more than you realize. To put it into perspective, it’s estimated that just 60 seconds of downtime would cost Amazon nearly $1 million. Brief connectivity issues, for any business, represents significant lost productivity and revenue. 

Slow, unreliable business internet could be draining your resources and budget. From decreased employee productivity and morale to lost sales and customer loyalty, there’s a substantial cost when your connectivity can’t keep up. 

Here’s what you need to know about internet speeds and why fast, reliable connectivity is essential for productivity and success.

Understanding business internet speeds 

Internet speed is how fast data travels from the internet to your device, measured in megabits per second (Mbps) or gigabits per second (Gbps). Download speed affects how quickly you can access files and applications, while upload speed determines the quality of your video calls and how efficiently you can send files.

Multiple users and devices as well as bandwidth-intensive activities can impact your overall internet performance and slow down your critical business operations. For the best internet performance, invest in enterprise internet with fast, symmetrical download and upload speeds. This delivers direct business advantages, including:

• Rapid file sharing to keep workflows and collaboration on track
• Instant loading of cloud-based applications, eliminating delays in daily operations
• Crystal-clear video conferencing to reduce the risk of miscommunication
• Real-time collaboration that ensures remote and hybrid teams stay synchronized

When choosing the best internet for business operations, look for an internet service provider (ISP) who offers enterprise-grade connectivity. Compared to residential internet, enterprise internet offers many advantages, including faster speeds and a dedicated connection. Internet providers for businesses also typically include enhanced security features and priority technical support with their business internet plans.

How does internet speed affect your business?

Every second counts—when your internet lags, so does your business. Slow internet speeds can slow or halt your operations across teams, tools, and customer touchpoints. While a few seconds of buffering may seem insignificant, those seconds, spread about your entire organization, can translate to hours of lost productivity and thousands in lost sales.

A slow internet connection is not only an inconvenience—it’s a threat to your bottom line. Here are a few of the consequences of inadequate connectivity.

1) Lower employee productivity and morale

With more businesses relying on cloud-based applications, real-time collaboration tools, and advanced technologies like AI and data analytics, companies can’t afford unreliable internet service. For business operations that depend on constant connectivity, slow internet speeds can compromise efficiency and drastically reduce output. 

When employees are unable to access essential files or use cloud applications, your business loses hours of valuable work time. Every minute of downtime compounds across teams and departments, which can lead to major operational delays. For maximum productivity, teams must be able to seamlessly access business internet whether they're in the office, working from home, or traveling. In one survey, one-third of remote workers said weak internet has hurt their productivity. 

Frustrated employees may resort to manual processes and workarounds, ultimately wasting time and undermining your investments in cloud tools. At the same time, your IT teams could be tied up in troubleshooting connectivity problems, rather than focusing on strategic IT planning.

When workplace technology consistently underperforms, employee frustration and stress can mount. Low morale can lead to a negative workplace culture and higher turnover rates, with talented employees seeking more efficient workplaces.

The impact of slow internet can also extend to your business relationships. If you are constantly freezing or lagging during important video calls with clients and partners, it reflects poorly on your business’s reliability, potentially costing you valuable opportunities.

2) Poor customer experience

Slow internet is one of the fastest ways to lose customers. Delayed response times, glitchy customer portals, and poor checkout experiences frustrate customers and send them straight to your competitors.

Forty-seven percent of users won't wait longer than two seconds for a website to load. That means nearly half of your potential customers may be abandoning your site before they even explore your offerings. When competitors are only a click away, customers likely won’t return to an unreliable or unresponsive website.

Customers expect seamless and efficient online experiences. The longer it takes for your systems to deliver order confirmations, process payments, or connect customers to support agents, the more dissatisfied customers become. Not only are they unlikely to return to your business, they may also share their negative experience with others, impacting your brand reputation and ability to attract new customers.

3) Increased risk of cybersecurity incidents

Business internet is the foundation of an effective multilayered cybersecurity strategy. Connectivity supports everything from cloud-based cybersecurity solutions to data backup in the event of an incident. 

Inadequate internet speeds compromises your entire security posture. State-of-the-art cybersecurity services and solutions cannot efficiently defend against threats like distributed denial-of-service attacks. Employees frustrated by slow speeds may resort to using unsecured networks or devices to complete their job duties. Delayed or failed security updates leave systems vulnerable to attacks. Combined, these cybersecurity gaps leave your organization at an extremely high risk of attack.

A single cybersecurity incident can result in the loss of sensitive information, lasting damage to your brand, and substantial financial consequences. Canadian organizations paid on average $6.32 million for data breaches, with the financial sector paying $9.28 million and the technology and industrial sectors paying around $7.8 million a breach.

Fast and secure internet connectivity is more than an operational expense—it’s an essential investment in protecting your business’s future.

From bottleneck to backbone: A four-step framework to future-proof your internet infrastructure

Internet speed is far more than a technical consideration—when integrated into your strategic planning, your internet infrastructure can set the foundation for your business growth. Here's how to transform your connectivity into a competitive advantage.

Step 1: Diagnose the cause of poor connectivity

If you are consistently experiencing slow business internet speeds, start by identifying and addressing the root cause of bad connectivity. Common causes include: 

• Bandwidth-intensive applications
• Hardware failure
• Network congestion
• Malware
• Outdated security software
• Insufficient internet plan or poor service from your business ISP

Step 2: Evaluate and optimize your current business internet service

Before making changes, establish your baseline. Run speed tests on multiple devices, and check your service level agreement (SLA) to verify whether you’re receiving the promised speeds. You may be entitled to compensation if your ISP consistently underdelivers. 

Step 3: Upgrade to dedicated enterprise-grade connectivity

Dedicated business internet access provides consistent speeds so you don’t experience any slowdowns during peak hours. For the fastest internet speeds and highest reliability, consider switching to business fibre internet. With fibre internet for business, there’s a lower risk of outages because fibre optics can withstand harsh environmental conditions and is immune to electrical interference.

Step 4: Choose the right connectivity partner

After evaluating your current service and provider, you may find that other business internet providers are able to offer a more effective solution. When evaluating business high-speed internet providers for your Ottawa-Gatineau business, it’s important to consider:

• Can they handle your business’s specific requirements and needs?
• Do they offer symmetrical upload and download speeds?  
• Can they accommodate your type of business and number of employees?
• Do they provide 24/7 support to quickly address disruptions?
• Do they own and operate their own network for the most reliable connectivity?

Ready to accelerate your business?

If the speed of your internet is affecting team collaboration, customer satisfaction, or your bottom line, it’s time to upgrade your ISP. Hiboo networks is the National Capital Region’s intelligent network provider, delivering dedicated high-speed internet for businesses in Ottawa-Gatineau. With hiboo networks, your business can access:

• Speeds up to 100 Gbps on our independent state-of-the-art fibre network
• 24/7/365 customer support from local experts
• 99.999% uptime
• Equal upload and download speeds
• No data caps or hidden fees
• Clear and simple SLAs

Elevate your digital infrastructure with lightning-fast fibre internet designed for businesses in Ottawa-Gatineau. Contact a local expert today!