Comcast Business Internet Review

Why Comcast Business Internet Is Best for Startups

When launching a startup, the core team needs to stay connected at all times, whether together in the workplace or working remotely. Comcast business internet includes features that would greatly benefit an in-office work environment, such as Ethernet Dedicated Internet and SecurityEdge. Remote teams can also benefit from Comcast’s business internet with its Business Mobile plans, a feature we found critically important for startups in today’s hybrid/remote work environment.

We also liked that Comcast Business Internet allows for custom splash pages for Wi-Fi access, which reinforces your startup’s brand among guests and employees. As a startup, building your brand and establishing a sense of continuity is important and the custom splash pages offer one more opportunity to do just that.

Whether your business classifies as a small business or you’re looking for an internet plan that can grow with your company, you can take advantage of all of the business features associated with Comcast Business Internet.

Comcast Business Internet Features

Business Wi-Fi

Comcast’s Business Wi-Fi is an excellent add-on that allows startups to give its guests their own dedicated shared connection. Whether you’re recruiting candidates for the next position in your company or offering connectivity to your customers, a reliable Wi-Fi connection allows them to access the internet during their stay.

We particularly liked that business owners can also manage separate Wi-Fi connections for guests and employees. This ensures that guests’ Wi-Fi usage doesn’t impact the bandwidth employees need while also creating an added layer of security.

Comcast Business SecurityEdge

One of the major concerns when starting a business is preventing network security threats. Comcast Business Security Edge is an add-on that can help protect against threats like malware, ransomware, phishing and botnet attacks, an additional layer of security unique to Comcast in our review of business internet service providers (ISPs). The result is a more secure network less vulnerable to data breaches that can cost your business money and impact its brand reputation negatively. We liked the focus on security as small business cyberattacks can be so costly that they lead to business closures.

Dynamic and Static IP Addresses

Every Comcast Business plan comes with dynamic IP addresses. For businesses that need to stay connected, Comcast Business can change IP addresses whenever necessary. However, we liked that business customers can also add static IP addressing. For businesses that need a central hosting spot for websites or for those who need to provide remote network services for their employees, Static IP addresses offer a benefit over dynamic IP addresses, so we liked that Comcast offered these to business customers.

Business Mobile Plans

Comcast Business Mobile plans offer voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) services in addition to a customer’s business internet plans. Mobile plans can be used to support voice calling in the workplace or on the go, through a wide range of hardware. Additional features include readable voicemails and unlimited local calling. We found Comcast’s mobile plans particularly useful for startups with team members that are regularly traveling to make sales pitches or appeal to investors.

For a more dedicated VoIP experience, Comcast Business VoiceEdge delivers a cloud-hosted solution that can scale with a company. Along with basic line features and mobility, VoiceEdge allows small businesses to connect through audio conferencing, which we found ideal for businesses using a hybrid-work model.

Ethernet Dedicated Internet

Comcast Business Internet already offers plans with download speeds up to 1.25 Gbps. However, startups in need of their own connection can take advantage of Comcast’s Dedicated Internet using Ethernet. Symmetrical upload and download speeds mean that large web conferences, data transfers and any cloud-based service can be handled with ease. We especially liked this feature for tech startups or fully remote teams that are reliant on strong, fast internet connections to remain operational.

4G LTE Wireless Backup

Outages can occur at any point during the development of a new venture, which means it’s important to have backup options. Comcast’s Internet Connection Pro Automatic Backup provides business customers with 4G LTE connections to keep businesses up and running should a connectivity outage occur. A team of experts behind the scenes can assist with the needs of the customer until the primary connection is back online.

Comcast Business Internet Cost

Comcast Business Internet costs range from $69.99 per month for the Essential plan to $349.99 per month for the Gigabit plan. The full list is as follows:

• Business Internet Essential 50 Mbps: $69.99 per month
• Business Internet Standard 100 Mbps: $109.99 to $124.99 per month
• Business Internet Performance 250 Mbps: $134.99 to $149.99 per month
• Business Internet Advanced 500 Mbps: $164.99 to $179.99 per month
• Business Internet Premium 750 Mbps: $234.99 to $249.99 per month
• Business Internet Gigabit 1.25 Gbps: $334.99 to $349.99 per month

These prices reflect the monthly payment for the first 12 months of the agreement (excluding the first month), after which the price increases for the remainder of the contract. There’s also a discount for customers that enroll in AutoPay and paperless billing, and each plan comes with Comcast’s Business SecurityEdge internet connection. Note that these prices exclude installation fees and Comcast business equipment fees.

Comcast Business Internet Setup

Depending on location, Comcast’s internet setup can take anywhere from three to five days once a plan has been purchased. Customers can either set up an appointment with the service specialist or request to be put on a waitlist for an earlier installation date. If customers choose to include Business Wi-Fi in their business internet package, they will have the option to set up and install the Comcast Business Wireless Gateway themselves.

Customers are required to lease a router specifically for Comcast Business Internet for internet-related services, such as SecurityEdge and Business Voice, unless their current modem is deemed compatible with the service. While installation is included in the internet plan, there is a separate monthly fee of $19.95 per month should they need it. Similar to Business Wi-Fi, there is a self-installation guide on the Comcast Business Website as well should you decide to install the equipment yourself.

Comcast Business Internet Customer Service

Comcast Business Internet has 24/7 customer service for its customers, either by phone at (855) 319-0103 or by email via their website form. We found the 24/7 access to support to be a great benefit as it isn’t a given with some of the other business ISPs that we reviewed. Customers can also use online chat and connect with a representative for all general business internet inquiries.

Comcast Business Internet Drawbacks

While Comcast’s fiber-optic network spans across the nation, it’s still relatively limited in availability compared to cable or satellite internet. Customers in rural areas or places that Comcast doesn’t cover should consider our Viasat review for an ISP that is more widely available.

We also found Comcast’s gigabit internet plans to be costly when compared to other internet providers offering plans for roughly the same speeds. Fiber-optic internet in general does cost more than cable or satellite internet, but Comcast’s prices still seemed very steep for its gigabit speeds. If your business requires heavy data transfers or other services that rely heavily on symmetric download speeds, you will need to consider the plan cost in addition to other fees, including equipment and add-ons.

Methodology

When considering business internet providers for review, we kept in mind some of the features that business owners would need to get their business going from start to finish. Part of that process included extensive research, participating in provider calls and finally deciding on a best pick case for each of the vendors. Factors such as installation times, internet speeds, business phone services and internet availability were considered when doing so. For small startups, we chose Comcast as the ideal business internet provider.

Overall Value

We recommend Comcast Business Internet for …

• Startups
• Small remote or hybrid teams
• City-based small businesses

We don’t recommend Comcast Business Internet for …

• Rural businesses
• Mid- to large-scale companies that rely on heavy data transfers or digital traffic