With the right internet connection, your small business can behave more like a big one

You may already know the Hollywood success story that’s come out of Byron Bay. Not Chris Hemsworth, the other story: Cumulus VFX , a visual effects studio that counts?Netflix and National Geographic among its partners. The side effect, no pun intended, of creating such explosive, complex work is the large files created – files that have to be sent to studios around the world1.

Because they have a fast, business-grade connection available, Cumulus VFX can compete on the world stage. They can work every day to bring creative ideas to life and entertain millions of people, connected to the world through a plan over business nbn? Enterprise Ethernet2.

Theirs is the type of story that makes me proud to be part of nbn. The connections we’re now offering through service providers help give small businesses the opportunity to perform at their best, and our website makes it easy to find a service provider that suits you and your business needs.

The way we think about a ‘fast internet connection’ can be simplistic. Most Australians understand it in the context of their home connection, where speed may translate to streaming services and file downloads. In a business environment, it can support a whole variety of needs.

At home, where we are mostly consuming content, download speed is the most important. But in a business, upload speed is also critical. The Cumulus VFX example shows how being able to transfer data at high speed can revolutionise a business that needs to transfer large files. But if you are not one of those businesses, you might wonder if the type of internet connection you have is even relevant.

In fact, that’s what makes the growing availability of business-grade connections so exciting.

Business nbn Enterprise Ethernet can be a tool for post-pandemic growth

We have all spent the past couple of years being more connected than ever. The most obvious case is our use of bandwidth-hungry video conferencing to stay in touch with people in ways we might never have anticipated. But we have also come to rely on digital tools to perform all manner of other functions – booking a doctor’s appointment, inspecting a rental property, paying for their share of dinner, and so on. Within small businesses, owners and staff are working with cloud-based customer management software, sales analytics and social media monitoring. Many businesses also rely on business-critical online services like virtual appointments, online training, or virtual phone calls using VoIP1.

This is before we even mention hybridised working, which can require even very small businesses to keep their teams online, with security measures and a stable connection in place, or risk real disruption to their operations.

Business nbn Enterprise Ethernet will be available to more businesses than ever

These many potential benefits are why we launched the business fibre initiative –?an investment of up to $700 million to support innovation, productivity and growth for Australian businesses, to be delivered over three years as part of a multi-faceted package.

Key to this initiative is the creation of?business nbn fibre zones across Australia. To give businesses within these zones access to high data-intensity connections, we are offering Enterprise Ethernet to service providers with no up-front build costs, and at our most competitive wholesale service pricing. Plus, if your provider signs up for a three-year Enterprise Ethernet plan, there’s no up-front connection cost charged to them3.

I’m so excited by the difference this will make to Australian small businesses. Our Service providers can offer plans based on wholesale symmetrical upload and download tiers to suit many different business requirements. Our Enterprise Ethernet wholesale product gives internet providers the ability to scale network solutions to help meet businesses’ need for productivity, collaboration and innovation –?whatever shape that takes1.

That means small businesses can act more like big ones ?in accessing cloud-based or connected solutions can now be accessed through the network1.

How a business nbn solution supported this business on a ride to success?

An example I love is Creative Cycles . Mike Redding, who owns and runs it, was diagnosed with MS ten years ago. Neurologists told him that health, fitness and diet would play a key role in how his illness would progress, which brought him to cycling. Now he rides 200 km every week, and has built a whole business around building custom bikes to make sure others have their own perfect ride.

This is a very small business – Mike is the only staff member, and his entire operation is online. That’s already great, because we know that non-food online purchases are increasing rapidly – up 38.5 per cent in 2021 compared to 2020 ?. Mike is tapping into a market of customers who want to buy online and enjoy the flexibility it offers. But it does mean that without a high-performing connection, there is no business.

Mike’s story isn’t a common one, but his business needs are. As it is for many others, social media is a critical factor in building relationships with his customers. Mike demonstrates his expertise, range and helpful approach through rich media such as images and video. Having a high-performing business nbn solution ?makes it possible for Mike to interact with his customers, identify what they need, and build them an absolutely bespoke bike that’s perfect for them – even though he’s never met them1.

Success stories like these really highlight for me the value in what we’re doing. A business-grade internet connection or plan is so much more than being able to stream video or download an email attachment. It can be the defining factor in small business success, and I feel privileged to be part of that journey.

And what delights me most is that it’s not only businesses in major cities that can get involved. Cumulus VFX is an example of a regional studio having great success, but we’re actually investing in making that a possibility across Australia. There are currently 304 of these?business nbn fibre zones across Australia, including a presence in 127 regional centres.

I can’t wait to introduce you to the many other businesses growing with business nbn. ?

Disclaimers:

[1] End customer experiences vary. An end customer’s experience, including the speeds actually achieved over the nbn? broadband access network, depends on the nbn? access network technology and configuration over which services are delivered to their premises, whether they are using the internet during the busy period, and some factors outside of nbn’s control (like their equipment quality, software, chosen broadband plan, signal reception, or how their provider designs its network). For business nbn? Enterprise Ethernet, if the service provider has not selected a bandwidth in the highest of three classes of service available for business nbn? Enterprise Ethernet, the speeds experienced may be affected by contention on the nbn? network, particularly in busy periods.

[2] business nbn? Enterprise Ethernet is only available in the nbn? Business Fibre Zones, nbn? Fixed Line network footprint and at limited premises served by the nbn? Fixed Wireless and Satellite networks.

[3] nbn is a wholesaler and does not control costs charged by service providers. Customers should contact their preferred service provider to ask about availability and any fees and charges from their provider that may be applicable. These pricing offers are not available for most premises in the nbn? Fixed Wireless or Satellite footprints or for most premises which have complex connections – further costs are likely to apply to these premises.?

[4] business nbn? is not available on the nbn? fixed wireless network.

[5] “Online sales are still strong despite return to stores” https://www.ragtrader.com.au/news/online-sales-are-still-strong-despite-return-to-stores