Whatever wired Internet Service Provider (ISP) you choose for your business, none can guarantee availability 100% of the time. Every ISP has experienced periods when its service is down. Unfortunately, this interferes with your ability to run many aspects of your business. When your Internet connection is down you lose easy access to online business applications, email, and — if you are using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) — your telecom system is down as well.
Even a few minutes of downtime can be costly. To be prepared for an outage of your wired Internet service, it’s smart to establish a “continuity plan” that ensures uninterrupted operations.
Depending on the size of your business, downtime has been shown to cost an average of $179,827 in lost productivity and business transactions.
We’ve talked in previous Insights articles about how Hosted PBX services and SIP trunking can help protect you when some event affects your VoIP telecom system.
These two options provide ways to re-route phone calls when your Internet is down.
Hosted PBX
A Hosted PBX service retains your business communications off-site. If you lose your Internet connection or even your power, inbound callers still receive your main phone greeting and can access menu options. When callers enter an employee’s extension, the Hosted PBX server can automatically route that call to the employee’s cell phone whenever the system can’t reach the digital VoIP phone assigned to that employee’s extension.
SIP trunking
Adding SIP trunking (Session Initiation Protocol trunking) to your VoIP service can simplify communication by connecting a number of devices into a single, cost-effective collection of services. These can include telephones, network servers, cell phones, video conferencing, instant messaging, and much more. SIP trunking can be a great advantage, whenever weather or other natural occurrences interrupt your Internet service, by providing you with a way to re-route your communication system.
Even if you have one of these two technologies, however, without the Internet employees cannot work at their computers to conduct any business requiring an Internet connection. Your employees’ work output and your customer service can suffer.
Access the Internet via a wireless 4G LTE modem.
One small investment can eliminate downtime due to Internet loss. That is, to access the signals available from your mobile phone provider using a wireless 4G LTE modem.
When you lose your wired Internet service, having a wireless 4G LTE modem on site can give you an instant wireless connection that keeps your business in business. It can keep everything running until your wired Internet service is restored.
With this device connected directly to your router, switch or computer you can provide an automatic 4G LTE or 3G fallback broadband connection, with download speeds fast enough to support your business operations. With wireless access to the Internet, you have a good temporary solution that lets your Hosted PBX telephones and SIP trunks continue to function.
Communication is vital to your business. It’s your connection to clients and vendors. If you’re considering the savings and added features of VoIP, or are already using VoIP, a wireless 4G LTE modem can keep your business running smoothly whenever your wired Internet signal is down.
Feel free to reach out to your Ideacom Network member telecom provider who will be happy to assist you in finding the wireless modem that is right for your size and type of business.