The t1 internet service has been around for over 40 years but never have there been so many "flavors" available. The number of providers has jumped since deregulation in 1996 from a few dozen to several thousand. As the telecom shakedown that began in 2001 continues many of these comapnies are trying to stay afloat by capturing as many customers as possible with inexpensive products they claim to be T1. Don't be fooled!

Many of the desperate companies are putting together inferior products they claim are T1 products. Be leary of products with the funny titles like "burstable" and "reach". These products are oversubscribed much like a DSL product. This means the provider put's a singled T1 connnection in a CO (Central Office) and sells T1 connections to 3 or 4 customers hoping they don't all use the service at the same time. True T1 access means dedicated access to the internet and you always have access to 1.54Mbps.

Make sure your T1 product is a "clearchannel" product and is not shared with other users. Also be sure you have an SLA or Service Level Agreement from your provider. A SLA will specify the access you will receive and the penaly the service provider will pay if they do not provide such service. If you need help establishing the proper SLA seek the help of a professional if you don't have one in house. It's much better to pay a small fee up front than to enter a long term contract with an inferior carrier. You can also get professional assistance free of charge by simply contacting one fo the many T1 brokers on the internet.

An OC3 line is an ultra high-speed connection capable of transmitting data at rates up to 155 Mbps. Some ISP's, large corporations and universities with high-volume network traffic will require an OC3 if they have an extremely high volume of traffic that can't be handled by a DS3. An OC3 is so large that some ISP's use this as the backbone to their network. If you believe you're in the market for OC3 Service we recomend getting ahold of an expert.

While you may be an expert when it comes to network connections and data applications you will still want to have an expert by your side when it comes to pricing and negotiating for a connections. The expert to whom we refer is a broker or independent agent. In addition to being knowledgable of the technology a brokers expertice lies in his or her knowledge of carriers, their networks, their strengths and weakenesses and also in their relationship with sales managers and VP's at the companies. This means a better deal for you!

There is an opportunity to achieve significant cost reductions in your oc3 service. The key is using an expert broker. Brokers don't charge fees to the end user and they don't mark up the priceof the service. They are paid by the company which you sign with at the end. As the carrier doesn't have to pay an inside sales rep for the sale, they compensate the broker instead and maintain the same margin as though you went direct. Another advantage of the agent is the fact that he is paid on a residual basis. This means that he or she is interested in the longevity of your account and the level of your service.