UT Internet service providers, or ISPs, connect their customers to the Internet in exchange for a fee. A national ISP will grant access to subscribers in much of the nation while a local ISP will limit users to a specific geographic region.

A small business should consider a separate web hosting company to maintain its website instead of using the web space from the Internet service. Utah businesses with high-traffic sites may require a large national company that can provide mirroring and redundant connections for their websites.

The first consideration in deciding which of the ISPs in Utah to use is the type of access you want:

1. Dial-up access uses a telephone line and is the slowest connection. You must dial in to the Utah ISP and you'll frequently have a limit on your connection time.

2. Digital Subscriber Line, or DSL, access is also available through the phone in most areas. However, DSL is much faster than a dial-up connection and normally provides dedicated access.

3. Utah broadband providers have the fastest connections small business owners in Utah can generally afford. Internet services in Utah also offer high-speed cable Internet access.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Locate UT Internet providers that offer cable access to small businesses

ISPs in Utah that provide an always-on cable connection are frequently the best deal for small businesses. Some national ISPs offer packages tailored to the size of your business.

I recommend: Cox's business division offers Internet service solutions for businesses of all sizes and allows you to customize your service with many additional options. Charter Business offers several packages for businesses and features a cable connection with a downstream rate of up to 16 Mbps.

Find Utah ISPs that offer DSL service

Many ISPs design DSL packages for business owners throughout much of the nation. Businesses can bundle multiple services together, such as Internet and web hosting, to get a better deal from the ISP.

I recommend: EarthLink offers a range of services for businesses of different sizes and features symmetrical DSL, which allows you to upload as fast as you can download. The Verizon Small Business Center has high speed DSL connections with options for static IP addresses that allow businesses to host their own email and Web servers.

Check out the access packages from local Utah Internet providers

A rural business may have to depend on a small, local UT Internet service provider. ISPs in Utah frequently offer wireless DSL service for these businesses.

I recommend: Info West in St. George provides a range of connection options, including business class DSL for business customers in Utah. Last Mile Wireless is based in Ogden and provides residential and business Internet services in northern Utah and southern Idaho.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Use a Utah broadband ISP with a Tier 3 rating or better, especially if you are running a small business. The tier rating establishes the ISP's proximity to the Internet and generally how fast its access will be, all other things being equal. Tier 1 ISPs are linked directly to the Internet; Tier 2 ISPs lease their connections from Tier 1 ISPs and so on.