Business Internet with Wireless Ethernet Broadband or Mobile Broadband

Copyright (c) 2010 Ian Roberts

Business Wireless Ethernet vs Mobile Internet - which is better?

Well both have their place, although they are often confused. The two are totally different solutions, both serving important but different end users and uses.

Wireless Ethernet Broadband is a 'business' only service, delivering guaranteed and supported connectivity to a 'fixed' location or building, either as Leased Line Replacements, or being installed instead of or alongside Leased Lines and Fibre connectivity as diverse routed connectivity.

Antennas are permanently fixed to the business premise and wired directly to the businesses internal LAN. Hence its generic industry term 'Fixed Wireless Access'.

Mobile Broadband is exactly what is says; 'mobile'. Be it SIM, Dongle or other form, Mobile Broadband is accessed wherever its user wishes, from the hotel, park and occasionaly in the British summer, even the garden.

Unlike Fixed Wireless, Mobile Broadband carries no Service Level Agreements and no guarantees of any kind. Service on Mobile Broadband depends on how many users are using any particular local mobile antenna and how far away they are from it.

Wireless business broadband Ethernet is playing an increasing important role within UK enterprise and the public sector.

The recession, market consolidation and BT Openreach's decision to build Fibre to the Curb (FttC) in most metropolitan areas means that in spite of the proliferation of service providers, ISP's and Telcos, the options for truly diverse routing all the way from the premises to the exchange are dramatically fewer than the nations planners expected them to be.

This is because almost every service provider and ISP users BT openreach originated services, and almost every service provider uses BT exchanges.

Genuinely diversely routed Internet access is therefore the exception not the rule, and it's getting worse not better.

As SME businesses and branch offices of larger organisation increasingly rely on the Internet and start to use Cloud or Network services, diverse routing and guaranteed connectivity becomes increasingly important.

Scenarios enabling diverse routing for business Internet connectivity include:

SoHo Businesses: DSL or Wireless Ethernet connectivity with Mobile Broadband as back up.

SME Businesses: SDSL, Fixed Ethernet & Shared Wireless Ethernet in some mix of primary and diverse back up.

Enterprise Business: Fibre, Fixed Ethernet & Dedicated Wireless Ethernet variously used or load balanced.

In all cases Wireless Business Broadband Ethernet has a significant role to play in ensuring the always on Internet access which businesses of all sizes increasingly need.

Mobile broadband is already deployed in most businesses, either at the office for emergency email access or for road warriors and technicians of all kinds.

Business owners and managers will choose their own connectivity cocktail as needs dictate, but look out for dramatically increased business demand for Fixed Wireless Internet / Ethernet Access as the lack of diverse Internet and broadband routing options are exposed.