TechTalk
Our knowledge to you.
TechTalk
Our knowledge to you.
In the tech world, terminology, jargon, and acronyms are constantly thrown around. However, this is one of the rare times that the name is precise, descriptive, and understandable. Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) is an Internet connection devoted entirely to your business. DIA also has a set bandwidth speed that is consistently delivered. Dedicated Internet Access is also one of the multiple business Internet packages offered by DQE.
The most significant difference between DIA and broadband internet is that broadband typically relies on a shared Internet connection.
Internet Service Providers (ISP) share Service Level Agreements (SLAs) outlining guaranteed uptime and performance for expected service reliability.\
Within the industry, there is talk about the five 9s or 99.999% availability. According to TechTarget, this translates to just over 5 minutes of downtime per year. In comparison, a provider that offers 99.9% availability (three 9s) can expect over 8 hours of downtime in a year – which translates to one full day of lost productivity.
DQE is proud of our SLA and its consequential reliability. With a 100% fiber-based foundation, DQE provides the most reliable Internet service in the region. Our Internet services are provided over a backbone that includes 5 Tier-1 Upstream providers, which results in multiple routing paths; plus, our redundant core ring architecture delivers maximum reliability and high availability.
One of the most significant benefits of DIA is the guarantee of speed. When using shared Internet access, the sharing of circuits equates to shared bandwidth. The Internet speed can often fluctuate, can be unreliable during peak usage times, and may even be subject to Internet throttling during times of network congestion. Additionally, the Internet speed advertised for shared Internet is generally the maximum speed, not the average.
Shared Internet is like being on a busy highway during rush hour. It’s you and everyone else, bumper to bumper, inching along.
If you select DIA from DQE with a lightning-fast speed of 10 Gbps, you will receive 10 Gbps. Consistent and committed bandwidth is necessary if your company uses applications like unified communications, video conferencing, or collaboration software. It’s also vital when your company has remote users, branch offices, or other operational needs that require guaranteed connections.
Additionally, with DIA, you will receive symmetrical upload and download speeds. Generally, on shared Internet, your download speeds tend to be much faster than upload speeds, as the demand for downloading tends to be much higher than uploading.
DIA is like having your own personal highway, and the only traffic is you, breezing along.
Businesses today are more aware and eager to dedicate resources to their network’s security. It is a critical aspect of all IT plans.
DIA is more secure than shared Internet since data is only traveling on the network dedicated to your business. By not using a shared network, there are fewer opportunities for failure and security breaches.
ISPs can offer additional solutions to bolster your DIA security. For example, DQE’s DDoS Mitigation Services allow you to add an extra layer of coverage that can detect, respond, and mitigate Distributed Denial of Service attacks.
Another highly desirable benefit of DIA is the ability to customize your service based on your needs. You can start with the capacity you require and either scale up or down, which means you are only paying for the bandwidth you need, and you can quickly increase or decrease when deemed necessary.
Scalability is attractive to businesses in the start-up stage who may not know when and how their need for additional bandwidth will occur. Additionally, suppose you are a business with seasonal traffic, like a retailer gearing up for the holiday season. In that case, you may benefit from increasing your bandwidth at various times of the year.
Think of your bandwidth needs like a sliding scale adjusted up or down depending on current conditions.
First, consider the Internet behaviors that require secure and fast access:
Then, think about who would benefit the most from DIA:
If you worry about sending your critical documents on a shared network, enhancement of productivity, or the money you may spend on downtime, it may be time to migrate to Dedicated Internet Access.
DQE is here to help and welcomes the opportunity to discuss your business Internet needs. Reach out today!