Are ISPs Selling Internet Links or Delivering Internet Access?

The Future of Connectivity Demands More

For decades, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have operated under a simple model: sell customers a connection—a link—to the internet. But as businesses become increasingly reliant on digital tools, cloud applications, and real-time services, this model is showing its cracks. The question ISPs must now face is fundamental: Are you selling a link to the internet, or are you delivering true internet access?

The difference isn’t just semantic—it’s structural, operational, and strategic. Selling a “link” implies offering raw connectivity without guarantees of reliability, consistency, or optimization. Selling “access,” on the other hand, means ensuring customers have a seamless, always-on, intelligently managed connection—regardless of network failures, disruptions, or peak loads.

The High Stakes of Downtime

The consequences of unreliable internet aren’t hypothetical—they’re measurable and costly. According to a report from ITIC, 90% of mid to large enterprises report that a single hour of downtime costs over $300,000. For smaller businesses, the financial hit can still be devastating, averaging $137 to $427 per minute, depending on their reliance on online systems.

These aren’t just abstract figures. In 2023, a major global IT outage triggered by software misconfigurations caused an estimated $15 billion in losses worldwide (News.com.au).

For businesses, downtime doesn’t just mean lost revenue—it means damaged customer trust, broken workflows, and interrupted critical processes. This raises the stakes for ISPs. If you’re selling a mere link, you’re offering a commodity. If you’re selling access, you’re providing reliability, uptime, and resilience—services that customers are increasingly willing to pay for.

The Hidden Pain of Load Balancing and Session Failures

Beyond outright outages, many businesses experience internet “brownouts”—short disruptions in connectivity that often go unnoticed until they disrupt critical applications. Traditional load balancing, often touted as a solution, comes with its own set of headaches.

When load balancers failover during a disruption, they often require re-IPing (reassigning IP addresses). For businesses running live services—think video calls, financial transactions, or remote server access—this disruption drops active sessions, forcing users to restart their connections. In a world where milliseconds matter, these dropped sessions are more than inconveniences—they’re liabilities.

“Load balancing isn’t bonding,” network engineer blogs frequently emphasize (IPSpace.net). While load balancing spreads traffic across multiple links, it doesn’t create an aggregated, seamless experience. True “access” involves session persistence, where live connections remain uninterrupted even if one link fails.

Why ‘Access’ is the New Standard

Selling links has always been about volume: bigger pipes, more bandwidth, and better speed. But speed alone doesn’t address the needs of a cloud-centric, always-online economy.

Modern internet access is about intelligence, resilience, and visibility:

• Intelligence: Dynamic traffic prioritization ensures critical applications (e.g., VoIP calls, financial transactions) are prioritized over non-essential services.
• Resilience: Session-proof failover guarantees that connections remain intact, even during disruptions.
• Visibility: Advanced analytics enable ISPs and customers to monitor performance, identify inefficiencies, and optimize connections.

Businesses no longer view internet access as a utility—they see it as an operational pillar. Without consistent, resilient connectivity, remote teams can’t collaborate effectively, cloud-based tools become unreliable, and customer interactions suffer.

The ISP’s Strategic Crossroads

The era of selling internet links is fading. Businesses today expect ISPs to deliver “Always-On Internet Access”, where network resilience and intelligent traffic management are baked into the service.

ISPs that continue focusing on links risk being commoditized in an increasingly competitive market. Meanwhile, those that pivot to offering true access—with session persistence, intelligent bonding, and proactive monitoring—position themselves as strategic partners in their customers’ digital transformation journeys.

It’s no longer enough to simply deliver a connection. The modern economy demands reliable access to the internet—and the ISPs who understand this shift will lead the future of connectivity.