Transcript
Broadband Capacity Matrix for Cambridgeshire Businesses Advice for businesses to get the best broadband solutions for their needs
The requirements and options for business-level internet connectivity have changed immensely over recent years and there is often a lack of understanding as to what level of capacity a company should be implementing to meet their needs. The connectivity usage of Business users is usually quite different from Home users, who tend to require higher download speeds for data-intensive uses such as watching video. The matrix below provides simple guidance on levels of typical megabits per second (Mbps) connectivity capacity requirements appropriate to a company’s needs and number of users.
Business Broadband Capacity Matrix Business Broadband Capacity Matrix NUMBER OF USERS
TYPES OF USERS
1
<5
< 25
< 50
< 250
2-10 Mbps
2-10 Mbps
5-10 Mbps
10 Mbps
50 Mbps
1
<5
< 25
< 50
< 250
2-10 Mbps
3.5-10 Mbps
17.5 Mbps
35 Mbps
175 Mbps
1
<5
< 25
< 50
< 250
37.5 Mbps
75 Mbps
375 Mbps
Local Office
(Light usage)
Multimedia Office (Medium usage)
Technical Users
(Heavy usage)
Up to 10 Mbps
7.5-10 Mbps
Domestic/SME
© Cambridge Ahead 2015
Corporate Class
NOTE: the split between domestic and corporate class levels of service are indicative and will depend on the needs of your business.
Visit www.cambridgeahead.co.uk/connectivity-matrix Key & Notes Definition of Number of Users
1 = Homeworker; Remote worker; Micro-business; Small enterprise office. < 5; < 25 etc. = Ranges used to provide scale mapped with usage requirements. Includes local and/ or VPN use.
Definition of Types of Users 1 Local Office (Light usage)
2
• Basic email and web browsing
1
Multimedia Office (Medium usage) 3
Technical Users (Heavy usage) 4
• File downloads (large, high volume) • Interactive web content • Cloud based services • VOIP • Web conferencing • Website management (e-commerce)
• High bandwidth demand (database, CAD/CAM, large files) • Intense internet-based application use (interactive) • Multiple devices per user
We benchmarked the results of the matrix with a recent publication from the Broadband Stakeholder Group to check the rationale of the calculations. More report detail can be found at: http://www.broadbanduk.org/2015/09/02/bsg-publishes-new-model-on-small-businesses-connectivity-requirements The mapping is as follows: 1 (6 Mbps); < 5 (10 Mbps); < 25 (25 Mbps); < 50 (50 Mbps); < 250 (100-250 Mbps). 2 Average Calculations and criteria sourced from http://bandwidthpool.com/ and based on an average of 0.2 Mbps per user. 3 Average Calculations and criteria sourced from http://bandwidthpool.com/ and based on an average of 0.7 Mbps per user. 4 Average Calculations and criteria sourced from http://bandwidthpool.com/ and based on an average of 1.5 Mbps per user
Glossary Please find a list of the types of connectivity methods available generally (please check locally for actual availability) and the key factors to consider when investigating corporate class levels of connectivity.
Connectivity Methods
DSL
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a technology for bringing high-bandwidth information to homes and small businesses over ordinary copper telephone lines. xDSL refers to different variations of DSL, such as ADSL, HDSL, and RADSL.
DSL2
ADSL2+ is a newer protocol to ADSL which uses up to double the bandwidth frequencies of the earlier ADSL protocol, with higher frequencies used for faster data transmission over short distances, allowing for much faster broadband speeds.
Satellite
Satellite broadband is an option available for those who live in rural areas where traditional fixed-line based broadband services aren’t available. It uses a satellite dish to provide two-way access to broadband services. Download speeds have improved with up to 20 Mbps available.
EFM
Ethernet First Mile (EFM or Ethernet Internet) is a fast copper-based, low cost leased line technology. EFM provides symmetrical bandwidth at speeds of up to 20 Mbps with no contention.
FTTC / FTTP
Brings the fibre-optic cables nearer to the customer than the Exchange. To a street cabinet (FTTC) or to the premise (FTTP). FTTC still then uses copper wire to the premise but the distance is now shorter and separate from existing phone services.
Leased Line
True fibre-optic end to end.
Mobile Broadband – 3G / 4G Mobile broadband is the marketing term for wireless Internet accessed through a portable modem, mobile phone, USB wireless modem, tablet or other mobile devices.
Fixed Wireless
Uses licensed or unlicensed spectrum. Equipment is less complex than mobile as doesn’t have to handle roaming users. Fixed refers to usually the receiver being located on a property rather than portable. * Service Level Agreement
Pros
Cons
Wide availability.
Limited speed (8 Mbps max) and degrades with distance from Exchange Only available as asymmetric. Limited SLA*.
Wide availability.
Limited speed (24 Mbps max) and degrades with distance from Exchange. Only available as asymmetric. Limited SLA.
Quick to install. Good for streaming.
High latency (> 400ms) so not good for rapid interaction (e.g. VoIP). Data caps can make high volume usage expensive.
Better than normal ADSL. Huge cost savings over traditional fibre leased lines.
Not as good as a proper Fibre Ethernet leased line.
Faster speeds available (up to 80 Mbps for FTTC and 300 Mbps for FTTP).
Limited SLA. Asymmetric.
Robust SLA. Capable of 10 Gbps depending on equipment used.
Expensive compared to DSL based technologies. Only available as dedicated service
Quick to install, and no engineer required.
Not universally available. Quality impacted by number of users in any given location.
Can reach areas where no copper or fibre available.
Subject to line of sight and interference issues.
Factors to Consider Connectivity providers usually offer different levels of service to business customers than to consumers. Balancing the benefits of this enhanced service with the cost depends on the needs of your particular business, but as a guide these are other things to consider in addition to just download and upload speeds, and some of the questions to ask.
Item
Consideration
Support
Relates more to the Internet Service Provider (ISP) than the service. What support services are available and at what times? Can you get advice regarding firewall and router and how to configure your network?
Service Level Agreement (SLA)
Determines how quickly you can expect a response to issues and time to fix. If your business can’t operate without a connection then you need to know how quickly it will be restored and if there is any compensation.
Security
Are any security features included, such as virus protection; DDOS; Cyber hacking. What actions does the ISP take to secure their network and the other customers that use it?
Scalability
If you need to increase capacity (download, upload…) do you need to choose a new package or can you upgrade. This could impact new installation costs.
Static IP addresses
Only important if running services that need to be accessed from outside the organisation, or users need to access information and services within the organisation.
Contention Ratios
If using a service that is already contended, what impact does adding all your own users make to that. What times are the network busy and will this impact your usage. A dedicated connection guarantees your speed but costs more.
Jitter, Latency
These are metrics that relate to the variability of traffic throughput and how long it takes for data to reach its destination. This can be important if you have a service that you use a lot or need a rapid, reliable response from (e.g. Gaming services, VoIP services).
Cambridge Ahead is a business and academic member group dedicated to the successful growth of Cambridge and its region in the long term. Our vision is for Cambridge to be the pre-eminent, small city in the world.
The Connecting Cambridge Group vision is of ‘Enabling a Hyper-Connected Cambridge – where smart things happen’. Our objectives include: • To develop and deliver a compelling, long-term vision for Cambridge as the best hyper-connected city (in the world).
• To establish a clear strategy and guiding framework for system-wide, cross-organisational success over the next 20 years.
• To oversee the leadership and governance arrangements for a connectivity roadmap to enable academia, businesses and individuals to communicate seamlessly across networks, devices and uses throughout Cambridge and surrounding areas.
• To engage in strategic relationships (service providers, mobile operators and third parties) required for Cambridge to become hyper-connected city.
Project Group Chair: Faye Holland – Founder & Director, Cofinitive
Project Team members: David Cleevely CBE – Entrepreneur and Member of Cambridge Ahead Charles Cotton – Chairman, Cambridge Phenomenon International Ltd Noelle Godfrey – Programme Director, Connecting Cambridgeshire & Head of Digital Infrastructure, Cambridgeshire County Council Jon Holgate – Head of Networks, University of Cambridge Jane Paterson-Todd – CEO, Cambridge Ahead David Whale – Director, Thinking Binaries Ltd Tim Winchcomb – Consultant, Cambridge Consultants Richard York – VP Embedded Marketing, ARM
Subject matter experts contributing to this report Cambridge Ahead would like to thank the following consultants and organisations for their collaboration on this project: Andrew Glover – Bridge Fibre Tim Winchcomb – Cambridge Consultants Faye Holland – Cofinitive Jason Bass – EACS Karl Meyer – Geant Raza Tahir – Gigabit Data Services Disclaimer: Individual advice should be sought by industry experts. Neither this document, nor Cambridge Ahead provides a recommendation as to the type of connectivity options available and the suppliers of those services – this is purely an illustration of the level of connectivity required. BCMCB/v2/Jan16
