Tips on Buying Fractional T1
If you can not afford a full T1 line, you need to consider a fractional T1 line instead. Why not get all the extra benefits of T1 even if you’re not seeking for a complete T1? For many people the largest factor in their decision making is reliability. You must consider it too if reliability is critical to the types of software you run over your network connection. If you are now using DSL for your internet connection, you should seriously consider replacing it with fractional T1. DSL is a quick and inexpensive method of acquiring high speed bandwidth in Lugoff, however it is not intended to support mission-critical applications or large numbers of users as are T1 connections.
One drawback with fractional T1 service is the price. Despite the fact that you don’t have a full T1, you wind up paying quite a bit more than you did for your DSL connection. This is due to the structure of T1 pricing. A T1 connection is established by installing a "loop" or wire from the user's premises 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 wire that is rented from 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 fraction of the available bandwidth or the full 1.5Mbps and therefore your cost 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 a great way to get dedicated service into your office. Once you have fractional service, migrating to full service is easy. 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 critical services, think about reliability. Reliability becomes significant when customers or employees depend on your connection for immediate responses. If your customers use your connection to query your databases or your server or the Internet, then reliability of your network 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. An important connection can be thought of like a lifeline, without which your company would be negatively impacted.
