Go Big or Go Local?

5 Reasons Consumers Are Connecting With Smaller Internet Companies

Size matters. At least when it comes to your Internet provider.

When it comes to their ISP, many consumers don’t have much choice in their community. When they do, it often comes down to a behemoth national provider versus a small hometown or regional provider.

You might think that the large provider has the leg up. And in some ways, it does. Most obviously, consumers already know its brand name because it has enormous budgets for advertising, sponsorships, and marketing.

But before you call that 1-800 number to order service, here’s something to consider: According to this year’s TVcable.com survey, 12% of respondents said they use local and regional ISPs or cellular data networks for home Internet service. In last year’s survey, however, only 7% of respondents used alternative ISPs. That’s a 71% percent jump in a single year in consumers who choose a regional ISP.

So why the sudden urge to go small?

There are many reasons consumers have begun to think locally about where they get their Internet. Here are the top five.

Regional ISPs Have The Home Field Advantage

Today, when we’re using home Internet for everything from video conferences to VR games, it’s nice to work with a locally based company when buying a service as important as your Internet. That’s because whether it’s the CEO or the customer service rep on the phone, these are people you see in the neighborhood supermarket or at the little league game. And guess what? They want their service to be fast and reliable, too – because they’re also customers. When they see you out and about, they know they have to be able to look you in the eye and stand behind the quality of their work.

Press 1 For Better Customer Service

Instead of sending your customer service call to who knows where, regional providers often invest in more responsive, personalized customer service from the local community. Instead of dealing with indifferent customer service agents in a far-off city, you’re treated like a neighbor. Regional companies

know that treating each customer with respect and the attention they need to resolve their questions quickly is a key way to keep customers happy.

Investing In Growth, Not Wall Street

The big guys have already built their network. They’re focused on extracting as much value from it as possible for their executives and investors. But the regional providers have a different focus: Growth. That means they put their money where it benefits customers: In the physical cables and other equipment you need to get the best, fastest, most reliable Internet service available.

New Technology, At Your Service

It’s not all about big vs regional. Sometimes it’s about new vs. older. Regional fiber optic providers are often newer companies – and so is the network they’re creating. That means they’re laying new, more technologically advanced, more reliable infrastructure. That’s good news for consumers who are looking for reliability and speed. National providers send your data through older legacy equipment that wasn’t optimized for your community – or for the vast quantity of Internet data we use today.

Smaller, Quicker and More Nimble

And finally, keep in mind: The bigger a company becomes, the more bureaucratic it becomes. Instead of empowering local representatives to create solutions that fit local customers, they require all their representatives to do everything by the same book. That gives regional players an advantage to develop solutions that are tailor-made for their customers, rather than provide a one-size fits all answer.