Every business needs Wi-Fi that works at peak hours. There are two ways to get it: buy the equipment and run it yourself, or pay one monthly fee for Wi-Fi as a service. Here is how they compare.
Buying your own equipment
You pay upfront for access points, switches and power protection, then for installation. The internet line is a separate contract, and cloud-managed equipment usually needs licence renewals. When something breaks, your own IT staff, or whoever you can call, has to find and fix it. In a few years the equipment ages and the cycle starts again.
Wi-Fi as a service
One fixed monthly fee covers the equipment, installation, licensing, the broadband line and support. The provider monitors the network and replaces what fails. With OneWifi, for example:
- Plans start at ₱8,900 a month, all-in, for up to 60 users: two enterprise Cisco access points, a PoE switch, UPS power protection and up to 800 Mbps broadband
- Plans scale up to 2,000 users on a 36-month term
- 24/7 monitoring, every ticket acknowledged within 15 minutes, and a 4-hour service level in the Negros Island Region, or that month is free
- A local support team in Bacolod
Side by side
| Buy your own | Wi-Fi as a service | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Equipment and installation | None; one fixed monthly fee |
| Internet line | Separate contract | Included |
| When it breaks | Your team finds and fixes it | Monitored and fixed by the provider |
| Budgeting | Irregular, with surprises | The same amount every month |
| Growing | Buy more, configure it yourself | Move up a plan |
When buying makes sense
Buying can be the better choice if you already have a capable network team, you own recent equipment with years of support left, or you need only one or two access points in a small room. A good provider will tell you so.
When a service makes sense
A service fits best when Wi-Fi is critical to your operations, such as for schools, hospitals, hotels and offices, when you do not have network staff on site, or when you would rather keep cash for the business than tie it up in equipment.
Not sure which way to go? Book a free site survey or email lori@onelmi.com. If a smaller solution is enough, we will say so.