Dedicated internet or broadband
What separates a dedicated circuit from broadband, and which of the two an office of your size actually needs.
What is the difference between dedicated and broadband?
Dedicated internet gives you a fixed amount of bandwidth that is yours alone, the same speed up and down, with an uptime guarantee. Broadband shares capacity with everyone else on the network and sells you a best-effort maximum. Dedicated costs considerably more. Most businesses do not need it.
| Dedicated internet | Broadband | |
|---|---|---|
| Bandwidth | Guaranteed. 500 Mbps means 500 Mbps. | Shared and advertised as "up to". |
| Upload speed | Same as download. | Often a fraction of download, especially on cable. |
| Busy periods | Unaffected — nobody else is on your capacity. | Can slow when the neighborhood is busy. |
| Guarantee | Usually sold with an SLA carrying an uptime figure and a target repair time. | Best effort. Commonly no commitment to fix by a deadline. |
| Price | Commonly several times comparable broadband at the same headline speed, though the gap narrows in competitive metro buildings. | The cheapest way to buy speed. |
| Install | Longer, and may need construction work. | Usually quick where the network already reaches. |
When dedicated is worth it
- Downtime costs you real money: payments, dispatch, a booking system
- Your phones run over the internet and dropped calls are unacceptable
- You host something on site that people outside the building connect to
- You upload as much as you download: video, backups, large design files
- You have staff connecting in over VPN all day
When broadband is the right answer
A small office doing email, cloud software and video calls is well served by fiber broadband. You get more headline speed for the money, and the gap in day-to-day experience is small as long as the upload speed is reasonable. Check the upload figure before you sign.
Comparing two quotes fairly
Line up the upload speeds
Download is the easy comparison. Upload is where a dedicated quote earns its price.
Read the guarantee
Ask what uptime is promised and what the target repair time is. If there is no number, there is no guarantee.
Add the setup fee and the term
A cheaper monthly price on a longer term with a bigger setup fee is not always cheaper.
Ask what happens at renewal
Promotional broadband rates often step up at the end of the first term.
Both products vary between providers. Treat this as a guide to what to ask; what you are buying is defined by the service agreement you sign with your provider.
Last reviewed September 14, 2026
