In a globalised and increasingly digital world, the inability to create secure and fast communication channels with international partners or a simple online sale would be impossible without a telecommunications service for companies, which offers the tools needed for simpler and more assertive management of their business and, consequently, to be able to grow.
Why is telecoms essential to the success of companies?
It's easy to see that without a reliable, fast and secure telecoms service, a company will find it extremely difficult to do things as simple as negotiate with suppliers in another part of Portugal or the world, carry out day-to-day business management or, in the midst of the digital age, manage its business. teleworkingIn addition to this, you can also use the cloud to enable your employees to work from home and have access to important documents stored in the cloud.
We're essentially talking about good digital connectivity, but the importance of telecoms for a company also extends to mobile communications, internal telephone lines that allow businesses to manage customer and supplier requests more flexibly, and even to payments, which are increasingly digital nowadays and integrated.
For example, if a business makes both online and face-to-face sales and, in order to achieve this, uses means of online payment from REDUNIQ or a TPA REDUNIQ SoftA good Internet connection will be crucial for its smooth operation, even if, in the case of the automatic payment terminalsmanagement can be carried out offline.
It is also important to note that a large number of national companies are constantly working with sales staff and other operatives on the street, professionals who will need Internet networks and mobile telephone communications to make their work not only possible, but also easier.
These and many other dimensions combine to make telecoms services so important for a successful company.
Key factors to consider when choosing a business telecoms service
If your company is thinking of changing telecoms operators or has just set up a business and needs this type of service, take note of these key factors to consider when choosing:
Internet connection: fibre, cable or satellite?
Despite the wide selection of options at your disposal, it's important to emphasise that cable is an alternative that offers coverage throughout the country, but its download and upload speeds are slow and any natural disaster could render it unusable for hours.
That leaves the satellite and what is one of the bastions of national technology: fibre.
At the moment, fibre offers you ultra-fast data transmission speeds throughout most of the country and excellent connectivity regardless of the number of workers you have to connect.
As for satellite, the speed (up to 40 Mbps) is faster than cable, but the prices charged may not be worth the investment.
Number of people who will use the network
The number of people you need to connect in your company and the type of tasks they carry out are determining factors when choosing the speed you need.
As a rule, it is recommended that a telecoms service for small businesses have at least 200 Mbps contracted, an Internet speed that allows your team to carry out all kinds of tasks, from video calls, file transfers, image and video editing or online searches.
In larger companies, the recommended speed is 500Mbps or 1Gbps.
It should be noted that these speeds can be achieved when working on a computer, tablet or smartphone.
Extenders included?
Depending on the size of your company, you may need extenders to expand the Wi-Fi signal to the entire building.
Note, however, that some business telecoms packages do not include these extenders, which could increase costs.
Customer support
Customer support is a crucial factor when choosing a telecoms package for your business.
Although many services offer you good prices and high connectivity, if something fails and you need a quick resolution to the problem, you'll have to wait hours for the repair service or find customer support limited to the days and hours of service.
Telecoms options: which one is right for your company?
After the liberalisation of the telecommunications market and the end of Portugal Telecom, some operators disappeared, others were acquired and others, like Digi, entered to stir up the waters.
With Digi boosting the telecoms market dedicated to domestic customers, the business offer is currently restricted to:
- NOS;
- MEO;
- Vodafone;
- Nowo
In addition to telecommunications solutions, these operators also provide you with integrated IT services and the opportunity to personalise your choice.
Although a quick search of these operators' websites reveals a very similar offer, if not exactly the same, it's important to bear in mind that the prices, Internet coverage and quality of service may not be the same.
To help you decide which service and operator is best for your company, we advise you to pay attention to the key factors we've outlined throughout this article and use the ANACOM's online simulators (National Communications Authority) or DECO to find the best tariffs.
EN 
PT