For most businesses, a typical workday will look something like back-to-back video meetings, some files to upload to Dropbox, Slack messages discussing project deadlines and possibly a few slide decks to finish up.
It goes without saying that we expect these processes to run smoothly but when they don’t, utter chaos ensues.
And when your screen freezes during a client meeting or you can’t send Slack messages, it’s often the device or software that gets the blame. But in actual fact, it could be your broadband that is the culprit.
In a modern workplace where almost everything is cloud-based, a reliable Internet connection is responsible for powering entire workflows. That means if it can’t keep up, neither can you.
What Are Cloud-Based Collaboration Tools?
These are software platforms that enable people and teams to work together online and in real-time. They aren’t downloaded onto your device but sit in the cloud and can be accessed from anywhere. This is perfect for remote teams in different locations who aren’t physically in the same office.
Tools like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Trello and Dropbox are all cloud-based. While they are all designed to improve productivity and communication in different ways, they all have one single thing in common.
They need Internet connectivity in order to work.
How Does Broadband Impact The Use Of These Tools?
Broadband is responsible for making sure that the data from these platforms can be sent and received. Every time you open up a shared document or hop onto a video call, it’s broadband working behind the scenes to make it happen.
If your Internet connection is not fast enough or unstable, it will affect the output of these platforms. Think dropped calls, documents not saved and slow upload speeds.
Here’s why broadband is more important than you may think when it comes to the tools that you use.
File Sharing And Cloud Storage
Apps like Dropbox and OneDrive are used to sync files across multiple devices and share them with other team members. But the bigger your files are, the more data it takes to upload and download them.
In fact, presentations and videos can be hundreds of megabytes and if your broadband is too slow, it can take hours to access them.
Video Meetings
If your team works remotely or from different countries, you’ll use platforms like Google Meet and Microsoft Teams all the time.
In order for them to run smoothly, you’ll need a sufficient amount of bandwidth. For HD video calls, each person needs a minimum of 1.5 Mbps upload and download. If you plan on screen sharing, you’ll need between 5-10 Mbps.
Working Together In Real-Time
Team members are able to collaborate on Google Docs or Sheets in real-time because these live sync across everyone’s devices. In order for this to happen smoothly, there needs to be low latency and enough bandwidth to support multiple users.
If the connection happens to drop, you’ll lose access to the most updated version of the document.
Signs Your Broadband Needs To Be Upgraded
If your current broadband isn’t up to scratch, there will definitely be some signs to look out for. Things like frequent buffering or freezing while on video calls, slow upload speeds and delays when working in shared documents are all common red flags.
Additionally, you may notice things like being entirely disconnected from cloud-based platforms.
What Speed Would You Ideally Need?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer because it will depend on how big your team is and what tools you use.
If you have a smaller team with five or so members, a good starting point would be a connection with 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload.
However, for bigger teams or those who work regularly with videos and design, it’s recommended to use a minimum of 200-500 Mbps.
Other Ways To Improve Your Connection
To get a good idea of your current connection’s bandwidth, conduct a speed test to check your upload/download speed and latency. If you aren’t happy with the results, you can check with your ISP about higher-speed plans.
Alternatively, you could limit bandwidth-heavy activities during working hours such as streaming or use Quality of Service (QoS) to prioritise traffic from apps that you need to use.
If fibre broadband is available in your area, it’s also worth switching over to it to improve your Internet connectivity.
