To understand the current controversy over the limited use of fixed broadband franchises, it is necessary to return to 2014, the time in which the Internet Civil Rights Framework was approved, considered a great achievement for all Brazilians. He is very clear on the issue of using the network: all people and companies can use the internet for any purpose.
According to Marco Civil, the only situation in which service interruption is possible is the lack of payment. This is the point that operators are using as a legal loophole to reduce internet speed or cancel the service after exceeding the previously established monthly traffic limit, which appears in most subscription contracts, often without highlighting and in letters girls.
Currently in Brazil, internet service is charged according to the contracted browsing speed, without considering traffic consumption. The system that limits the amount of data downloaded, that is, that sets a franchise, already works on the mobile internet, on cell phones. By reducing access speeds after the franchise has been exhausted, operators claim that they are not cutting the service.
The use of traffic franchises is provided for in the regulations, but can only be practiced within certain rules, according to Anatel, which are:
- a) provide a website with access reserved for consumers;
- b) provide a consumption monitoring tool;
- c) inform the consumer that their deductible is approaching the contracted limit;
In this impasse, some entities defend the possibility of limiting internet traffic and others, such as Procon and OAB, consider that this limitation infringes the Consumer Law Code. Due to the great repercussion and debate surrounding the topic, Anatel published an injunction prohibiting operators from limiting their customers' broadband for the next 90 days, until they comply with a series of determinations.
In other words, the controversy will go a long way and we will be attentive to developments. But, as one of the best management practices in companies is planning, we decided to help managers assess the impact of limiting internet traffic on companies. Let’s look at some impact points that should be evaluated and considered in your company:
Control and monitoring of internet access
We all know that it is common for employees to access social networks, personal email, visit entertainment or shopping websites, watch videos or listen to the radio during work. These sites tend to be heavy and can consume a significant portion of your company's internet.
Companies that already use some internet access management mechanism, which allows them to restrict what can be accessed by employees, will have to prioritize and optimize this monitoring, evaluating which sites or services consume the most internet traffic, which sites are a priority for corporate activities, which ones should not be accessed and which users or equipment are consuming the most resources. This monitoring must be constant and serve as a basis for continuous improvements in the company's internet access policy, always aiming to optimize the use of resources in activities relevant to the business and avoid wasting internet and resources.
Companies that do not have any management of internet usage will have to implement some solution. The ideal is to look for modern solutions that facilitate this management, providing the best cost-benefit for the company. There are many alternatives on the market for controlling internet access, from complex firewall/proxy solutions, which require high investment and technical involvement, appliance , such as Dell SonicWall , Fortinet FortiGate , Websense and countless others, to cloud solutions, which are more accessible and modern, such as Lumiun Tecnologia , which is easy to implement/manage and has a more affordable price.
Impact on the performance of systems and activities
Sending and receiving emails, cloud systems, ERPs, internet service, video conferences, etc. All of these resources and systems are part of the daily lives of companies, they use the internet and depend on a high-speed network for their operation, in addition to being a priority in relation to other services.
In a scenario with limited internet traffic and possible reduction in speed, companies need to prioritize resources relevant to the business, avoiding a drop in the performance of these systems and consequently a reduction in productivity.
For example, it is possible that a large part of the traffic is being consumed by employees watching videos or listening to internet radio, while priority systems are experiencing limitations and reducing their performance. Imagine having your speed reduced from 20 Mbps to 2 Mbps in an office with 10 employees. It is necessary to avoid this type of situation in your company.
Team productivity and employee education
In this context, the internet impacts the team's productivity in two ways, firstly in relation to wasted time on the internet and secondly, in the case of reduced internet speed, the impact on the performance of activities, with slower systems and consequently reduced in productivity.
Therefore, it is necessary to educate employees regarding the use of the internet , so that they use the network consciously, prioritizing services related to their corporate activities and avoiding downloading heavy files, accessing video or radio sites or other services that consume a lot of traffic. .
Less competitiveness and drop in results
We know that one of the main factors that contribute to a company's competitiveness is the strategic and intelligent use of technology. With slower internet, systems with limited performance, staff wasting time or being idle, managers will certainly see a drop in the quality of services or products, as a result customers will be less and less satisfied and naturally the company's results will suffer.
Using technology consciously consists of optimizing and prioritizing resources, in the case of the internet it is no different. Therefore, as a team or IT manager in your company, be sure to continually seek to avoid wasting resources and improve the use of the internet and technology.
Share with us what your company does or intends to do to improve network use and avoid suspension or reduction of internet speed, in case these restrictions are implemented by operators and providers.
