Will your backup internet keep the business working?

Start by describing the work that needs to continue during an outage. This turns “we need backup internet” into a set of requirements your technical team can assess.

1. Name the essential work

List the applications used for payments, calls, bookings, remote access and customer service. Note which need to keep working, and which could pause.

• Who uses each application, and at which locations?
• Does the application depend on equipment at your site?
• Would existing sessions or calls need to reconnect after a network change?

2. Map the shared dependencies

Two internet services can still depend on the same power, router, switch or local cable. Ask your technical team to identify those shared points.

• What powers the internet equipment and the devices people use?
• Can the router support the intended backup and failover setup?
• Are there application, security or public-IP requirements to account for?

3. Review the site and service

Confirm the options available at the address. For a satellite connection, sky visibility, safe mounting, power and cable routing belong in the site review. Check current provider specifications and terms rather than assuming every plan has the same capabilities.

4. Arrange a controlled test

Have the responsible technical team plan the test and its rollback. Schedule it when disruption can be managed. Test the real workflows you listed, including a call or payment workflow where an approved test method exists.

Record what happened when the primary connection became unavailable, how applications recovered and what happened when normal service returned. A speed test alone does not establish that business workflows continued.

5. Give the plan an owner

Document who monitors the connection, who contacts each provider and who can change the configuration. Keep support details and recovery instructions somewhere accessible during an outage.

Use this guide to prepare a review with your responsible technical team. The right design depends on the site and applications.

Further reading: Starlink business service information. Confirm current availability and terms for the location.