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Connectivity Budget Calculator
Remote work stops when the connection stops. Price the main line, the mobile data, the coworking days and the backup together so redundancy is planned rather than improvised.
The extra figure is the premium paid for redundancy: everything beyond the primary home line. A connection that is fine for browsing may not carry daily video calls, so test upload speed and latency at the exact address.
One line is a single point of failure
A home connection can fail because of an outage, a building fault, a provider dispute or a move. Any of those can take a working day or a week. Mobile data and a coworking day pass are different routes, not duplicates.
The backup does not need to carry everything. It needs to carry a call, a deadline and the ability to finish the day, which is why a modest secondary line is often enough.
Price the schedule, not the tariff
A coworking membership is only worth it for the days you use. Count the days per month and price day passes first; move to a hot desk or a dedicated desk only when the count makes it cheaper.
Include the small services too. A VPN, a second SIM and a data top-up are cheap individually and add up over a year, so they belong in the monthly number rather than in a forgotten category.
Frequently asked questions
How much backup do I need?
Enough for voice and video calls and for uploading files. Test it on a normal working day rather than assuming a hotspot is adequate.
Is a coworking day pass cheaper than a membership?
At a low number of days, usually yes. Compare the annual cost at your realistic monthly usage, including the commute.
Do I need a VPN?
It depends on your employer, the services you reach and the networks you use. If you need one, price it as a monthly line rather than a one-off purchase.