Internet providers in Virginia connect their customers to the Internet in exchange for a fee. A national Internet service Provider, or 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 Virginia hosting service to maintain its website instead of using the web space from its Internet service. Virginia 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 VA ISP 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 Virginia ISP and you'll frequently have a limit on your connection time.

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

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

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

Locate Internet providers in Virginia that offer cable access to small businesses

ISPs in Virginia 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: Conway is a Virginia high-speed Internet provider that provides a premium business Internet package using cable. It also sells additional IP addresses, email address and web space separately. Comcast is a Virginia high-speed Internet provider that has a cable access package specifically designed for small businesses.

Find a company that provides DSL in VA

Many ISPs design packages for business owners that include DSL. Virginia ISPs can bundle multiple services together, such as Internet and web hosting, to get a better deal from the ISP.

I recommend: Speakeasy offers a range of DSL technologies aimed towards small businesses including ADSL, ADSL2 and SDSL. Sprint Nextel has an extensive, secure network that covers most of the country and provides ADSL, IDSL and SDSL for businesses.

Check out the access packages from local Internet providers in Virginia

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

I recommend: B2X Online is in Salem and offers service packages for business and residential customers. Rev.net is in Roanoke and provides a range of business class internet access up to a full T1 line.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Use companies that provide Internet hosting in Virginia 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.