T1 Speed and Prices
If you own a business and need a good internet connection, you should look into the different kinds available. If you have an office of ten people who are all in sales, they will most likely be on the phone more than an office of thirty programmers. Ten people engaged in heavy phone use often require at least eight phone lines between them to do their jobs.
Even if your business needs just a basic Internet connection on top of the phone lines, you will spend more money using POTS and DSL or cable than you would for integrated T1 services that give you more flexibility and room to grow, because as you start to add employees you will not have to add more lines. Flexibility is a key benefit of integrated T1 services.
If your business requires much more out of the Internet than it does out of the phones, you can use the majority of the bandwidth of your integrated T1 services for your data transfer needs. However, if you’re in a situation where voice and data are mission critical and you have a large number of employees engaging in heavy phone and Internet use, using two dedicated T1 lines might be a more effective choice for you.
Integrated T1 services offer security, speed, power, and affordability. However, even with all of their benefits, integrated T1 services are not right for every company. There are a few questions to ask before making your decision such as how critical voice and data are to the company. Who is using the services? How long will the business be in one location? If voice is mission critical to your company, you will find that POTS, T1, and DS3 all offer you the reliability and security you need. If data is mission critical, T1 and DS3 are really the only logical choices for you.
You can also mix and match services, but you will end up paying more money, dealing with different providers, and receiving several bills each month. Integrated T1 services are viable for situations when either voice or data or both are mission critical, and they allow you to manage your telecommunications operations more efficiently.
Integrated T1 services are not for companies that are on the move or leasing a space on a month-to-month basis. T1 (and DS3) contracts generally require a commitment of at least one year. Many services also offer deals on installation and monthly rates if you sign up for a longer contract. However, if you move offices before your contract is up, you will end up just throwing money away. Make sure you look into this carefully before coming to your final decision.
