Brightlio Blog

Internet access is a utility almost as crucial as water and power for most organizations.  Procuring internet services can be confusing, however.  Additionally, price points can vary greatly depending on the type of service quoted. 

One of the questions we get most frequently from our customers is:  What’s the difference between dedicated internet access service and broadband internet service?  This article explains the differences to help you determine which solution is right for your business. 

DIA vs Broadband Differences – Comparison Table Snapshot

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Factor	Dedicated Internet Access (DIA)	Broadband Internet	Consider This
Definition	A private, dedicated internet connection reserved solely for one organization or business.	A shared internet connection used by multiple households or businesses in an area.	Do you need a private connection for mission-critical tasks or is shared access acceptable?
Cost	Higher cost due to premium service and guaranteed performance	Lower cost and more budget-friendly	Is your business willing to pay more for guaranteed performance and reliability?
Uptime & Reliability	Guaranteed uptime with 99.9 percent or more through Service Level Agreements	Variable uptime with no guarantees	How costly is downtime to your operations or revenue?
Performance	Consistent symmetrical speeds with equal upload and download and no slowdowns	Asymmetrical speeds with shared bandwidth and performance that varies	Do you need stable speeds for latency-sensitive apps like VoIP or cloud tools?
Support	SLA-backed support with guaranteed response and resolution times	Standard support with no guaranteed resolution times	Do you require rapid technical help for critical issues?
Security	Private isolated connection with lower risk of data breaches	Shared network with higher exposure to potential threats	Does your business handle sensitive data such as financial or medical records?
Scalability	Easy to scale with guaranteed bandwidth as your business grows	Limited scalability due to shared infrastructure	Will your bandwidth needs grow significantly in the near future?
Use Case	Ideal for large enterprises mission-critical applications and many users	Suited for small businesses with basic internet use	How many users or devices depend on your internet connection daily?
When to Choose	When uptime performance and security are non-negotiable	When cost is a major factor and basic connectivity is enough	If your business depends on fast reliable internet go with DIA

What is Dedicated Internet Access? 

Dedicated internet access, also called a DIA, is an internet service where the internet service provider (ISP) provides you with a physical internet connection that other customers do not share. The circuit is, therefore, “dedicated” to you.  This means the traffic and congestion on the network do not impact a dedicated internet connection.  If your neighbor is downloading large files or the service provider’s network is especially busy, this will not affect the performance of your dedicated internet service.  This is one of the major advantages of dedicated internet access. 

Additionally, the dedicated internet access provider contractually guarantees the amount of bandwidth you receive (e.g., 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, etc.).  If you purchase a 1 Gbps DIA service, you should always be able to use roughly 1 Gbps.  The DIA service is also symmetrical, meaning traffic can pass in both directions (upload and download) at the contracted rate. 

The performance of the network is guaranteed in the provider’s Service Level Agreement, or SLA.  This ensures that the internet service provides the upload speeds, download speeds, and uptime per the terms of the agreement, or the provider has to offer credits or other concessions.

What is Broadband Internet? 

A broadband internet connection is an internet service where the ISP offers customers a shared internet connection.  The amount of bandwidth marketed and sold by the provider is the maximum a customer will get with the service.  Unlike the DIA example above, a customer who purchases a 1 Gbps broadband service can expect up to 1 Gbps but should be prepared for incredibly variable speeds depending on network congestion and other factors. 

A 1 Gbps broadband connection may perform significantly below 1 Gbps much of the time.  Broadband performance is also impacted by location, proximity to network hubs or data centers, and the number of users on the network in the area, meaning the same service may not be equal for all users. 

Additionally, many broadband services are asymmetrical, meaning downloads are usually faster than uploads.  This is fine for users surfing the web or streaming video but problematic for people looking to push latency-sensitive data to users or applications. Performance is definitely one of the main dedicated internet benefits.

6 Key Differences Between Dedicated Internet Access and Broadband

It is essential to evaluate your business requirements to determine which service suits your needs.  Here are a few questions you can ask to help you decide: 

1. Reliability and Uptime

If your business can’t afford to go offline, go with dedicated internet. It offers higher uptime and quicker fixes if things break. Broadband? Cheaper, but it’s more prone to outages. If occasional downtime won’t kill your operations, broadband is probably fine.

2. Performance Consistency

Dedicated internet gives you stable speeds all day every day. Broadband speeds fluctuate based on how many people are online. If you’re just emailing or browsing, broadband will do. But if you’re running video calls, VoIP, or anything sensitive to lag, dedicated is the smarter call.

3. Upload Speeds

Dedicated internet gives equal download and upload speeds (called symmetrical). That matters if you’re uploading files, hosting services, or using real-time apps. Broadband is usually download heavy with slower upload speeds, not ideal for serious data work.

4. Support and SLAs

Dedicated service comes with contracts and SLAs, meaning if it breaks, there’s a timeframe to fix it. Broadband support is more like your home internet, best effort, no promises. If your business depends on fast resolution, dedicated is worth the extra cost.

5. Security

Dedicated internet is private, only your business uses that line. That makes it harder to snoop on or attack. Broadband is shared with others, which increases security risks. If you’re handling sensitive data, don’t mess around, go dedicated.

6. Cost

Dedicated internet isn’t cheap. You could be paying $1,500 per month for a 1 Gbps dedicated line versus $230 per month for broadband at the same speed. But if your revenue depends on always on high performance connectivity, the price pays for itself. Broadband is more budget friendly and can work as a solid backup.

Do you need a quote for DIA or Broadband?  Brightlio can help! 

Have you decided on which service is right for you?  Do you still need help choosing?  Either way, Brightlio can help! 

Brightlio is a telecommunications broker with access to hundreds of broadband, dedicated internet access, and dedicated fiber providers.  We will find the best dedicated internet service provider or broadband service provider for your needs and budget. Provide us with the address where you require service, plus the speed you are looking for, and we’ll come back quickly with options that will exceed your expectations.

Additionally, we offer colocation, cloud, and unified communications technologies from our global partners. This allows us to provide your business with a complete technology solution.

There is never a cost for quotes or solution designs.  Let’s start a new project together today! 

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