Your business' connection to the online world is a crucial part of your company's success. But you should be able to find low cost Internet access that is reliable without breaking your pocketbook. Internet access vendors can help you find affordable solutions that work best for your business.

If price is your primary concern, consider DSL (digital subscriber lines) for low cost Internet access. At $30 to $250 for setup and monthly fees, DSL is an affordable option for small businesses up to 20 employees and will provide speeds comparable with business-level T1 lines. It transports high-speed data over the copper wires of your existing phone system from the phone company's central office to your company's network. DSL can provide fast connections for e-mail applications and web surfing, but may not be best if you often download and upload large files.

This doesn't mean you should rule out a T1 line as a low cost Internet access solution for your business. T1 lines are more expensive than DSL - $250 to $1,000 for setup and monthly fees, but there are ways to cut costs. T1 providers can offer fractional lines, which offer only a portion of the available bandwidth, or burstable lines, where you pay for a specific amount of bandwidth. Also, if reliability is a key decision maker, T1 providers can guarantee your connection will be up and running.