How much broadband should we have?

We don’t need a research company to tell us that we are using more bandwidth than ever. Every day we become more dependent on our connection to the outside world. We expect large email attachments to send immediately. We need video conferencing to be smooth. We want to use cloud based software that doesn't hesitate, internet connections that never lag, and phones that never go down. We want our connectivity to be available every moment of the day and open for large backups to the cloud at night.

The world is not slowing down in their consumption of broadband. Companies like Adobe and Microsoft now have subscription based software. There are no more DVDs to load and install. You log in, download, and install. The software company will keep you updated with the most recent software, but the download sizes can be significant. QuickBooks now has a cloud software option so you never have to worry about updating your software. Your information is always protected and available, but you need a solid connection to access it.

In an age of constant connectivity, how do we know if we have enough bandwidth? There are several online calculators that will ask questions and will give you a recommendation based on your answers to those questions. There are also general rules to guide you. Unfortunately, the technology is advancing so quickly that calculators and rules-of-thumb become outdated almost as quickly as they are created.

So what do you do? Get as much bandwidth as you can justify. Get more than you think you will possibly use, and reevaluate it every 6 months. Broadband dependent technology is advancing quickly and there is no way to slow it. Understand this: the broadband speeds of today will be the dial-up of tomorrow.