Kinetic Windstream report finds SMBs rate internet services as a critical priority

May 7, 2024
Nearly half of survey respondents say small business success depends on fast and reliable Internet services.

A new Kinetic Business survey finds that small businesses have prioritized always-on high-speed internet services as critical tools for conducting day-to-day operations. 

The survey revealed that small businesses struggle with rising operational costs (47%), hiring and retaining talent (28%), and attracting new leads (27%). Additionally, the report revealed that small businesses are focused on the following priorities:

·       Improving products and services: 43%

·       Delivering a great customer experience: 39%

·       Growing customer base: 33%

A kinetic business survey also revealed that speed (36%) and reliability (35%) are top internet priorities for small businesses. Furthermore, 25% of respondents value cybersecurity as an Internet priority, and 24% state customer experience and employee productivity depend on reliable, fast Internet service.

Running a successful small business today requires internet and voice solutions that offer flexibility, scalability, and unwavering reliability to operate and grow their ventures seamlessly. Providing a tailored solution that addresses current and future business needs while ensuring uninterrupted connectivity is paramount in supporting local small businesses. 

“Reliability and consistency in upload and download speeds are important for us,” said an owner in the food/agriculture industry in Georgia who participated in the survey research. Small businesses still need big bandwidth…just because [‘small businesses has] small in it doesn’t mean I have ‘small’ in what I need to do.”

Kinetic Business conducted research in November 2023 to understand the challenges and priorities of small businesses in rural areas regarding internet and voice solutions. The findings were based on a survey of 251 small business respondents across 11 industries in the 18 states where Kinetic Business offers its services.

For related articles, visit the Business Topic Center.
For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.
To stay abreast of fiber network deployments, subscribe to Lightwave’s Service Providers and Datacom/Data Center newsletters.

About the Author

Sean Buckley

Sean is responsible for establishing and executing the editorial strategies of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report across their websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products.

Sponsored Recommendations

Linear Pluggable Optics – The low-power optical interconnects for AI and Hyperscaled data centers.

Dec. 23, 2024
This LightWave webinar discussion will review the important technical differentiators found in this emerging interconnect field and how the electro/optic interoperability and ...

Innovating the network edge with 100ZR QSFP28: The next frontier in coherent optics

Jan. 15, 2025
In this webinar, Juniper Networks, EXFO and Precision Optical Technologies are teaming up to showcase the new 100ZR QSFP28 pluggable coherent technology, exploring its foundational...

ON TOPIC: Filling Coverage Gaps, Enhancing Public Safety

Jan. 30, 2025
With the ongoing drive to support AI and the need for high-speed data center interconnection, the call for higher-speed 800G optical technology is emerging. Initially focused ...

On Topic: Metro Network Evolution

Dec. 6, 2024
The metro network continues to evolve. As service providers have built out fiber in metro areas, they have offered Ethernet-based data services to businesses and other providers...