When choosing a broadband solution and provider, it is important you consider several different factors. Your ‘Contention’ is one of these. Here is our low down on contention ratio, and what you may want to think about when choosing your next Business Broadband Package.
What does Contention mean?
Contention is a factor that affects your internet speed and reliability.
Contention refers to the number of connections, at the internet provider level, that they allow to share the same cable.
It isn’t the only factor; the location of your property and even the make, model and location of your router also affect your connection.
What is Contention Ratio?
One way to think about contention is how congested the roads around your local school are at drop-off and pick-up times. The same road can be practically empty during school hours or on holidays.
When lots of connections are fighting for a share of the same internet speed at the same time, it can cause slow and unstable connections. You can experience decreased speed or even drop out. But this does allow for more affordable price points.
Another example would be, if your business is based near a residential area, you may experience the effects of contention during school holidays rather than when children are at school. Why? Simply because there are more people at home using their internet at the same time as you when school is closed.
Web Traffic Management is one way some providers attempt to take control of contention. This is where your internet provider decides which types of traffic take priority depending on the speed needed to perform the task.
How does Contention affect you?
The last thing you need is to be mid-way through an online meeting about closing an important sale and then your internet cuts out. This is where reliable broadband is essential.
What is a Good Contention Ratio?
Contention ratio isn’t talked about in the small print of Internet Service Providers. But one thing to consider, is that the connections allowed to share a cable, do influence the charges for the service.
Raw does offer products with a contention ratio of 1:1 if the internet is vital to your business’s operation. Meaning that only you will be using the broadband you’re paying for. The service guarantees speed 24/7 so you won’t be let down.
How to check broadband Contention Ratio?
Unless you know you are purchasing a 1:1 dedicated leased line connection, then there is no way to find out your exact contention ratio, as not all providers choose to publish contention.
Contention Ratio on Fibre Broadband
Newer broadband services, such as SoGEA and FTTP, are not as affected by contention ratio when compared to older connection types.
This is due to the connection being capable of faster speeds and the capability to support more users at once.
It doesn’t stop contention and they don’t provide guaranteed speed; you just may not notice the effects of contention as much on a faster connection.