Tips on Buying Fractional T1
If you can not afford a full T1 line, you need to consider a partial T1 line instead. Why not get all the extra advantages of T1 even if you’re not in a market for a complete T1? For many people the biggest factor in their choice is reliability. You should consider it too if reliability is vital to the applications you run over your network line. If you are currently using DSL for your internet connection, you must think about replacing it with fractional T1. DSL is a quick and cost effective method of acquiring high speed bandwidth in Pauls Valley, however it is not intended to support mission-critical applications or large numbers of users as are T1 connections.
A drawback 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 structure of T1 pricing. A T1 connection is established by providing a "loop" or wire from the user's building to the CO where the carrier has equipment. Part of the cost of a T1 is the "loop charge" or the monthly rental fee for the cable that is provided by the local phone company. Once the line gets to the CO it can access the carrier’s network and communicate with any destination. This loop is paid in full whether you use a part of the available capacity or the full 1.5Mbps and therefore your cost for a 768Kbps fractional T1 connection will never be half the price 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 best for you, but if you are supporting critical services, think about reliability. Reliability becomes important when customers or employees depend on your connection for immediate responses. If your customers use your connection to access your databases or your server or the Internet, then reliability of your connection is vital. 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 communication lines can be thought of as critical. A critical connection can be viewed much like a lifeline, without which your business would be negatively impacted.
