Best Internet for Working from Home

Beep beep’ – it’s 8 am on a Monday. I wake up to the chirping birds and a cool breeze. After jotting down some gratitude points, I enjoy a nice cup of coffee on my patio.

At nine, I review my calendar and prepare for my virtual meeting. Halfway through, my laptop screen freezes and I lose connection.

“Not again!” I yell in frustration, hitting my laptop hard.

Well, it's not your luck but your internet service provider (ISP) that is to be blamed.

The scenario narrated above shows how a peaceful workday can be ruined within seconds if your internet connection isn’t up to the mark.

Whether you’re working remotely once a week or every single day, you need a fast, reliable, and secure internet service to handle your bandwidth demands. We understand that finding an ideal internet plan can be super overwhelming. After all, as a remote worker, your productivity heavily depends on it.

To make things easier for you, we have enlisted the top five factors you need to consider before signing up with an internet service provider (ISP).  We will also be discussing the ISPs that fit well with those factors.

However, it is for you to decide which factor resonates with your priorities the most. Weigh your requirements, see which factor holds the most importance for you, and choose your ideal ISP accordingly.

The Basics of Internet Connectivity

Before we formally begin with the blog, let us help you understand a few key terms that form the basis of an internet connection.

Now that you understand the basic internet terminology, let us go ahead and enlighten you with the factors that you must look when choosing an ideal internet service provider for remote work.

Are you ready?

1. Connection Type

All set to accept that new remote job role?

Not so fast, soldier. First, make sure to subscribe to a solid internet connection type that can support all your online activities.

Conduct thorough research and choose between the different kinds of internet connections available in your area.

To get an overview of the prominent internet connection types, look at the table given below:

After analyzing the main features of all the major connection types, we would suggest you opt for fiber internet mainly because it’s a speedy, secure, and more reliable internet type, which makes it ideal for working remotely.

However, if it’s not available in your area, then cable internet might work out to be your next best option. With superfast download and upload speeds, this connection type can seamlessly help you carry out all your online activities.

Do you want to explore the best fiber and cable internet providers?

The tables given below will introduce you to our top picks.

^Speeds based on wired connection. Actual speeds may vary. For 5GIG, single device wired speed maximum 4.7Gbps. For more info go to www.att.com/speed101

2. High Download and Upload Speeds

The second most important building block that forms the basis of the best internet for remote work is speed.

To determine your ideal internet speeds, first consider your primary remote work activities and the total number of devices and apps you use every day.

After you’re done evaluating the internet speed requirements for all your online activities, check your current internet speed and see if it equals your calculations.

In our view, if you’re a single internet user working remotely from your apartment, then an internet speed of 50 Mbps should be enough for you. However, if you have multiple people working simultaneously in your house, then we would recommend you invest in a high-speed internet plan. A minimum of 100 Mbps download speed and 10 Mbps upload speed would be a great starting point for such households.

You might want to start searching for ISPs that provide you with superfast and stable internet speeds at economical rates. Cox is great in this regard. Its Go Fast Internet plan provides customers with download speeds of up to 100 Mbps at very reasonable rates.

With speeds this great, you can seamlessly carry out all your internet activities without having to worry about buffering and lag during your workday.

3. Unlimited Data

Are you a remote worker frustrated with data overage fees because you’ve hit your monthly data limit?

If you’re nodding your head, then this pointer is specifically for you.

Several ISPs offer internet plans with data caps, meaning you’ll only get a limited amount of data every month.

So, if you are working from home and greatly rely on the internet for your everyday workflow, you’ll surely be exceeding your monthly data caps.

To avoid such financial turbulence, look for an ISP that offers unlimited data. By signing up for an internet plan with no data limit, you’ll be able to conduct all your Zoom meetings, access heavy files, and collaborate online with your teammates without worrying about exceeding your data allowance or facing additional charges.

Do you want to learn about the ISPs that offer unlimited data?

Here are our top picks:

Spectrum® offers three notable internet packages namely:

• Spectrum Internet
• Internet Ultra
• Internet Gig

*Price for Gig speed additional. Gig capable modem required for Gig speed. For a list of Gig capable modems, visit spectrum.net/support/internet/compliant-modems-charter-network. ©2024 Charter Communications, all rights reserved.

All three packages come with unlimited data and no contracts.

The Cherry on top?

The customers get access to a FREE modem and FREE antivirus software.

Kinetic by Windstream offers multi-gig speeds at pocket-friendly rates. It’s wide availability, particularly in rural areas makes it stand out among its competitors. The provider’s prominent features include:

If you’re working remotely from a rural area and also daydreaming about no data caps, then consider Kinetic by Windstream as your savior!

4. Free Wifi Hotspots?

Are you fond of working in coffee shops, parks, or libraries?

If your answer is, ‘You Bet,’ then you’ll be happy to know that free WiFi hotspots exist! These hotspots bless you with the freedom to take your office work outdoors or to aesthetic cafes for a change of scenery.

To support complete connectivity, ISPs like Optimum offer free WiFi hotspots. All you have to do is become an Optimum Internet customer and get FREE access to over 1 million WiFi hotspots all over the Tri-State area. These WiFi hotspots ensure that you’re connected on the go.

How to Connect to Optimum WiFi Hotspots?

Let’s walk through the process with the help of the following scenario:

You then go to your laptop’s WiFi settings and select ‘optimumwifi’.

Next, you sign in using your Optimum user ID and password (if you are an Optimum Internet subscriber).

Now, you’re connected and ready to use the Optimum WiFi hotspots near you. Hurray for all the free perks!

5. Reliable Customer Support

In situations where your internet connection keeps disconnecting or even cuts out completely, you will be grateful for having signed up with an ISP that has a responsive customer service team. Therefore, when selecting an ISP for remote work, it is integral to consider the reliability and quality of its customer service.

Eventually, the best way to assess an internet service provider’s customer support is to experience it first-hand. Talk to the customer service representatives and see if they immediately address your queries.

Once you’ve done that, you should check the ISPs available in your area and see if they offer diligent, around-the-clock customer support.

Which ISP Do We Think Offers Incredible Customer Support?

There are quite a few; however, in our view, Fidium Fiber stands out with its amazing customer-first approach. This ISP focuses on connecting people and delivering an incredible customer experience for everyone.

Its customer support agents are trained to prioritize customer satisfaction. Expect a respectful and professional interaction with them.

What’s more?

We’re living in a digital world where customers ask for several channels of support. Fidium Fiber wins the hearts yet again with its multichannel support system, which includes:

• Live chat services
• Phone support
• Email correspondence

Thanks to this comprehensive support system, the customers’ queries are addressed promptly and efficiently.

Our Two Cents on a Good ISP for Remote Work

A good internet service provider offers speedy and reliable internet connection to remote workers, helping them stay connected and productive from any possible location.

That said, a great internet connection additionally ensures that information is safely transmitted and stored, safeguarding sensitive data from cyber threats. Hence, it is very significant to choose the right ISP for remote work.

To make things simpler for you, we have given a quick overview of all the top providers against the five factors that we have discussed above. Go ahead and check which provider fulfills most of your requirements: