As an IT director, you’re responsible for finding the technology solutions and processes that support an entire company. 
Arguably, one of the most important pieces of this is your internet connection.
While a robust internet connection is necessary for your business to survive, you still want to find the best price for most bandwidth.
Understanding what internet connection options exist and making sense for your organization and the potential problems you may have are important considerations.
It boils down to knowing the available providers and what contract options they offer that meet the needs of your business.
Traditionally, this meant taking the time to call each Internet Service Provider (ISP), providing them with your information, and seeing how their offers compare with others.
The KR Group has been through this for our own internet needs as well as alongside dozens of our customers. We know how much time it takes and how frustrating it is to go through this process.
When you need to take something off of your very full workload, turn to us to research your different contract options, call the various providers to find the best deals, and inform your existing ISP you’ll be going to another provider.
However, if this is something you would like to do on your own, there are a few questions you need answered before signing a contract with a new ISP:
- What are common contract lengths?
- How to anticipate contract expiration and auto-renewal?
- What should you consider in your next contract?
- Should you ever end a contract early?
With the answers to all of these questions, you will be best equipped to find an internet contract that better suits your needs and budget.
Common Internet Contract Lengths
Most ISPs give you the option of a 1-, 3-, or 5-year contract. Some providers may also have options for contractless services, but it’s rare.
In general, the longer the term, the more competitive the pricing is for the contract.
However, the majority of businesses find a 3-year contract to be the ideal choice for their internet demands.
Why?
A single year doesn’t provide much time to work with the ISP before you’re back in research mode.
This can be a wise option if you need a temporary internet solution.
Still, other companies might opt for a short commitment to give the new ISP a trial run. They might not want to sign on to a multi-year partnership without knowing what the service quality will be like.Â
If this sounds like you, check to see if the ISP offers a grace period. Many ISPs allow you to cancel within a couple of weeks without any penalties if you have a service issue.
On the other hand, five years is a long time when it comes to technology.
If you think back to 2016, Apple was breaking ground with wireless Air Pods, and Amazon had just released its Echo device. These laid the groundwork for technology that we use every day and increased demand for wireless internet connectivity.
It’s almost guaranteed that in 5 years we’ll be reliant on a technology currently not on most of our radars.
A 3-year contract tends to be the happy medium for businesses wanting something long-term without sacrificing the agility to adapt to the fast-paced evolution of technology.
Anticipating Contract Expiration or Auto-Renewal
Once you sign a contract, you’ll be tied to the ISP until your term is complete, unless you want to pay early termination fees (usually the remainder of your agreement).
In most cases, it is up to you to keep an eye on when your contract expires and what happens next.
Depending on the terms of your contract with your ISP, you can expect two outcomes:
1. Your contract will automatically renew for another term.
If you don’t pay attention, this could prolong when you can find a new ISP. Consider setting a calendar reminder before the expiration date, so you can avoid being tied into another contract with the ISP.
2. Your contract will go to a monthly subscription.
This is, by far, the more common outcome of an expired contract.
Most likely, your fee will increase slightly until you sign another contract or find a new provider. However, you’re free to leave at any time.
Regardless of what type of contract you currently have, you’ll want to get ahead of the expiration date and start researching your options ahead of time.
(If you’re in a 3-year contract, we recommend starting this task around month 30.)
Your Next Internet Circuit Contract
Once your contract expires or nears its expiration date, you’ll want to determine what you’re doing next for your internet connection.
Your two choices are:
1. Find a new ISP
This is the option you should, at a minimum, consider to see if there are ways to reduce your internet cost, increase your bandwidth, or both.
Internet speeds and prices have changed for the better in the past several years. By researching all your options, you can ensure you’re finding the best deal.
2. Stick with your current ISP 
Of course, you don’t need to switch ISPs if you’re happy with your service and they have competitive contract options.
However, you shouldn’t assume your ISP will continue to be the best option just because they were when you originally signed a contract.
Keep in mind that if you learn of another ISP with faster speed or lower prices, your existing provider may offer to match or beat the new offer.
If you’ve been otherwise satisfied with your service, you can continue working with your current ISP.
Terminating Service During a Contract
 In general, you’ll want to wait until your contract expires to switch ISPs and avoid any cancellation fees.
However, there are a couple of exceptions.
First, if your ISP provides truly terrible service, finding a new provider who is attentive to your needs could be worth the cancellation fees.
As you’re nearing the end of your contract, you may want to consider at what point you’d save money switching to a less expensive contract.
If the service upgrade is significant and you’ll come out budget neutral or even positive, then canceling your contract early may not be the wrong decision.
Finding a Business Internet Contract That’s the Right Fit
So how does all of this information apply to you as you look at contract options for internet circuits?
It’s important to understand all of your needs ahead of time because internet circuit contracts are notoriously difficult to get out of without paying fees.
By knowing what contract length you want, looking for information on current and future contract expiration, and knowing when and how to terminate a contract, you create a strategy to meet your organization’s internet demands.
While you’re feeling more confident about what needs to be done to end your internet circuit contract and start a new one, you’re still looking at a significant amount of work to find a provider and contract for your business.
Additionally, you will have to negotiate with each ISP, and once you decide to move forward with an ISP, you need to unsubscribe from the alternative providers.
Working with an IT consultant can take this stress and responsibility off of your IT department’s workload. Think of the time you could save without having to call individual ISPs, create a master list of all the offers, and end your contract.Â
To begin outsourcing this task to The KR Group, all we need is 30 minutes of your time. We’ll get right to the point and learn what you’re looking for with a new internet contract. After our conversation, we’ll immediately start looking for the best internet contract for you.
