In the fast-moving, global business world of the 21st century, companies need ever-more reliable networking solutions in order to keep up with the pace. There was a time when all this meant was having a broadband connection installed and shifting a proportion of business activity online.

Today, however, there are more broadband users on the planet than ever before, meaning the web is an increasingly congested place. Businesses have to contend for bandwidth with millions of home users, each using their connections on a daily basis. In built-up areas, there could be hundreds of business and residential users all logging on via the same exchange, creating a bottleneck that ultimately lowers speeds for everyone.

So what can businesses do to make sure they continue operating at the speeds they would have become accustomed to before the home broadband revolution? For those that rely on high speed internet or who wish to send large quantities of data around their organisation, it’s a salient question. Luckily, there are answers.

The old school approach would be to have a leased line connection installed by the network operator, traditionally British Telecom. A leased line is a private connection which remains separate from the main broadband network. Having their own line, let directly from the supplier, allows a company to use the internet free from contention by other users. Sounds great, but there are drawbacks – renting a leased line is an expensive option (although since BT Wholesale started leasing through third party suppliers, competition has driven costs down somewhat).

A more cost-effective alternative to leased lines, particularly for medium-sized businesses, is also something of a new development in networking solutions. ADSL bonding is a technique whereby multiple broadband lines are combined to create a new connection offering several times the capacity and speed of a singular one. The benefits of bonded ADSL are primarily in its cost: as a telecoms product, it can be around a third cheaper than a leased line. And like a leased line, bonded ADSL acts as private connection through which companies can transmit data without suffering the congestion of regular internet users.

There are, of course, those businesses who need neither of these solutions and for whom a standard broadband connection is still the most sufficient and suitable networking option. But for thosewho want fast, uncontended internet connection, a leased line or bonded ADSL may be the next step in ensuring they keep pace with an increasingly fast business world.

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