According to research carried out by Quocirca, the analyst firm, three out of four small and mid-sized businesses could not manage without internet access for more than a day.
But at the same time, a significant minority of companies - around one in three - are seriously dissatisfied with the service they receive from their internet providers.
One of the reasons, according to Chris Stening, managing director of Easynet Connect and the company that commissioned the research, is that many ISPs are really set up to service the consumer. As a result, business users often receive a second-class service.
IT PRO spoke to Stening about companies' increasing reliance on the internet, the need for ISPs to raise their game, and the prospects for a national fibre network following BT's recent commitment to that technology.
