Tips on Buying Fractional T1
If a full T1 isn't in your budget, you need to consider a fractional T1 line instead. Why not get all the extra advantages of T1 even if you’re not looking for a full T1? For many people the biggest factor in their decision making is reliability. You should consider it too if reliability is vital to the applications you run over your network line. If you are now using DSL for your internet connection, you must think about replacing it with fractional T1. DSL is a quick and inexpensive method of acquiring high speed bandwidth in Tabor City, however it is not intended to support commercial applications or high volumes of traffic as are T1 connections.
One disadvantage with fractional T1 service is the cost. Even though you won't have a full T1, you will be paying quite a bit more than you otherwise would for your DSL connection. This is due to the fee schedule of T1 pricing. A T1 connection is established by providing a "loop" or wire from the user's building to the CO where the service provider has equipment. Part of the cost of a T1 is the "loop charge" or the monthly rental fee for the cable that is rented from the local phone company. Once the connection reaches the CO it can tie into the carrier’s network and communicate with any destination. This loop is paid in full whether you use a fraction of the available bandwidth or the full 1.5Mbps and therefore your price for a 768Kbps fractional T1 connection will never be fifty percent of the cost of a 1.5mbps full T1 connection.
Although the price decrease is not what you might expect it to be, this may still put a fractional T1 within your budget and be the best way to get dedicated service into your office. Once you have fractional service, upgrading to full service is simple. Fractional service typically comes in 256Kbps increments from 256Kbps all the way to a full T1 at 1.5Mbps. Find the service that's right for you, but if you are supporting important services, think about reliability. Reliability becomes important when customers or employees need to use your connection for immediate responses. If your clients use your connection to access your databases or your server or the Internet, then reliability of your network is critical. If your employees depend on your connections because you host the e-mail server in house or host web servers or ASP type products, your connections can be thought of as critical. An important connection can be viewed much like a lifeline, without which your company would be negatively impacted.
