In today’s digital landscape, internet connectivity is the lifeline that keeps businesses across the country connected to customers. Any resident of this great state knows Okmulgee’s location can cause connection issues for businesses both big and small. The yearround unpredictable weather can be an internet connection’s downfall, and unreliable rural internet connections do not always thrive in comparison to major cities.

According to the Oklahoma Broadband Office, Oklahoma itself is increasing its broadband network through an $797.4 million federal funding expansion, which will benefit both rural customers and small business owners. Reliable internet is more pivotal now than it has ever been. Irregular internet connection can wreak havoc on a business’s bottom line because of the importance of online sales in an ever-growing digital economy.

Investing in a second layer of protection for internet connection is a measure that could ultimately protect the bottom line. The most advantageous and modern solution is adding wireless failover, which simply and seamlessly keeps customers connected.

Wireless failover automatically reconnects the internet during an outage or slowdown from the primary internet source. Think of the tool as insurance for a business’s internet connectivity.

Such insurance is important since system downtime can cause detrimental losses in productivity and sales. According to a study by Atlassian, small businesses experience an average loss of $427 a minute during internet connectivity downtimes. The severity of the outage will vary, but whether a cyber-attack, natural disaster or system failure is the cause, wireless failover will significantly reduce the damage of downtime.

Along with a flourishing bottom line, customer satisfaction falls within the priorities of any prosperous business. As customers expect businesses to be available 24/7, a single internet outage can put a website down for hours at a time. By implementing failover internet, businesses can maintain seamless service, resulting in enhanced customer satisfaction levels.

In today’s fast-paced and digitally driven world, staying connected to the internet is crucial for Okmulgee businesses, especially at point-of-sale businesses, health care settings, construction job sites or offices. Organizations can be at ease knowing that if their primary internet fails, they can keep their costs down while continuing to serve customers.

--- Joe Cabrera is director of sales and operations for US Cellular in Okmulgee.