By: John Shepler

Businesses located in bustling city centers have a wide array of broadband Internet options, unlike their rural counterparts. While the lack of service providers in less populated areas might make it seem like broadband is a luxury they can’t afford, there are actually several options available, depending on the location.

Rural businesses might feel limited in their connectivity choices. Unlike their city counterparts, they don’t have numerous service providers vying for their business. This doesn’t mean broadband is nonexistent in these areas, but rather that the lower concentration of potential customers makes it less appealing for providers to heavily market their services compared to densely populated urban areas.

You no longer have to wait for telecom companies to discover your remote location. You can instantly explore a variety of bandwidth services that can connect your business, no matter where you are. Let’s explore the possibilities, from the less common to the more readily available options.

Cable and fiber, the darlings of urban connectivity, are less common outside city limits. Business cable relies on the same infrastructure as residential cable TV, requiring a high density of customers to be profitable. While it offers relatively fast, albeit asymmetrical, shared bandwidth at competitive prices, it’s usually limited to areas with a certain threshold of homes and businesses.

Fiber, known for its high capacity and resilience to distance limitations, typically terminates at telecom facilities in urban areas. Although fiber lines might run near rural areas, they often bypass them en route to their intended destinations.

However, the rise of 4G LTE is driving a change in fiber deployment. As T1 lines struggle to keep up with 4G’s demands, fiber is increasingly being extended to cell towers. This presents an opportunity for businesses located near these towers to potentially tap into this fiber infrastructure and enjoy abundant bandwidth.

Speaking of T1, its ability to transmit data over long distances is what made it the preferred choice for connecting remote cell towers. Designed for wide-area coverage, T1 is available wherever traditional phone lines exist. With costs decreasing, T1 lines, especially when combined for greater capacity, are becoming an increasingly viable option for rural businesses.

While not as common outside city limits, Ethernet over Copper, especially when delivered via T1 lines (EoDS1), can be a cost-effective solution for businesses seeking to support Ethernet-based services.

Wireless broadband, specifically 3G and 4G cellular, offers a way to bridge the connectivity gap in rural areas. Business-grade options provide reliable, high-speed internet that can directly support your network at prices comparable to urban cable broadband.

If cellular broadband is unreliable due to weak signals, satellite internet offers an alternative. Significantly improved in recent years, satellite broadband now offers speeds comparable to 4G at reasonable prices. Though not ideal for latency-sensitive applications like VoIP or video conferencing due to signal travel time, it’s a viable option for web browsing, email, and even credit card processing, requiring only a clear view of the southern sky and a power source for the receiver.

Don’t let limited internet access hinder your rural business. Explore the various broadband options and find the best fit for your needs.

Note: Photo of country road courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.