LaslowNET Technical Rants, HOWTOs, and Writing

Rant: Business Internets are Serious Business

I work for a non-profit that provides general employment services to the public. In part, we offer a large number of public-access computers for job search purposes, as well as a smaller number of systems for general use. Couple these with ~20 staff workstations and a video conference unit, and we chew through a large chunk of bandwidth each day.

Until now, our dual 6Mbit DSL connections have been making due, but really only because of a WSUS server and two IPCop servers acting and web and update caches. With the possibility of adding new offices and increasing the number of computers on our network, I've been looking in to alternative ways of boosting our throughput.

One of the first plans was to check in to a Fiber connection, but that was quickly scrapped. Unfortunately, we can't afford the $1500/month rates being offered for the lower-tier connections, and the staggering ~$5900/month for a 100Mbit up/down connection is completely impossible. As such, I started looking in to other business packages.

This brings me to the root of my rant. I've never been a big fan of DSL, so my first thought was to check out what was offered by our local cable provider, Shaw Cable. I've used them for my residential internet connection since 1997 and couldn't be happier, especially since they've just started to offer 100Mbit down 2Mbit up service in my area.

After several phone calls to them, however, my opinion has completely changed. Despite the fact that they provide faster service, Shaw is only willing to offer a 15Mbit down/1Mbit up service to businesses. That's the fastest you can go without switching to Fiber, which again is out of our price range. Although the service is slightly cheaper than the DSL equivalent, I need at least 4 static IP addresses, and which Shaw will provide--for an extra $50 on top.

Speaking with their customer service reps was a frustrating experience, because I couldn't get an answer as to why businesses aren't allowed access to higher tiered packages. "That's just the way it is" was all I was told.

As such, we'll be sticking with DSL, and Shaw has lost a potential customer. I hope they eventually decide to let businesses catch up with home users, but somehow, I have my doubts.

Seriously.