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How Do You Choose a T1 or DS3 Bandwidth Provider for Your Company?

Michael Lemm
Choosing a T1 or DS3 bandwidth carrier or provider depends on location, budget, goals/priorities, and the type of application being served. The best provider depends on exact address, needs, and a good round of quoting, I won't speculate here.

If fibre is available in your area (and you may need a consultant to determine who might cover your area) its often good to jump straight there. Turnup costs are high after drilling/wiring the last mile -- but the rates and reliability over 3-5 years can't be beat.

If you decide you really need to go T1 (which is not usually my first choice these days) or DS3, it's best to choose a Tier-1 provider and a product that can be scaled up to bonded T1's or burstable DS3 later. You'll also want to make sure the router hardware you purchase/lease can support this. Beware I've seen many Tier-2 providers say they can do bonded T1's or burstable DS3 and royally screw up the implementation (its not something they know how to do well).

Make sure you choose a Tier-1 provider, Tier-2's often have the most competitive first-round quoting, but thats where the advantage stops. You can always negotiate Tier-1's down and the product is MUCH better.

You'll also need to decide whether you want self-managed or fully-managed solution. The best solution depends on factors specific to your implementation. This decision should be taken consciously with your specific needs in mind.

If you go with a T1 sign a 18 month or 24 month contract. Do not sign anything longer, even if they offer mid-way renegotiation. Ensure the autorenew clause is easily terminable and goes month to month at the end of term (instead of autorenewing for a year or more). If you go with a DS3 .... a 24-36 month contract is reasonable.

Read the SLA (service level agreement) carefully. Insist on assurances in the agreement (and don't take anything verbal or written from a telco sales rep for granted unless its in your contract). Your salesperson may move on 6 months from now and no one over there will know anything about you except what it says on paper.

Finally, if you don't have a network engineer on contract, find one (and do it before you look for/order service). A few hundred dollars now can save you huge headaches and big money down the road.

If you are looking for a T1 or DS3 bandwidth solution to meet your network needs ... you can get view information and resources at Broadband Nation.
About the Author:
Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications....including DS3-Bandwidth.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you're always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.
 

 

No. of Times this article has been viewed : 260
Date Published : Oct 6 2008

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