T1 Internet Access for Dummies

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 companies 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 leery of products with the funny titles like "burstable" and "reach". These products are oversubscribed much like a DSL product. This means the provider puts a singled T1 connection 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 in Madison 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 penalty 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 of the many T1 brokers on the Internet.

We meet thousands of online shoppers each week and all of them tell us the same thing: shopping for an inexpensive T1 line and determining T1 availability in Madison is never easy. You perform a search in Google and you see millions of results, all of which claim to save you money. In reality what your are seeing are sites created by internet marketing entrepreneurs who know little about dedicated service. They create simple HTML forms that capture your information, and then send it to every vendor in the universe or some in-house former used-car salesman who will sell you whatever will pay him the biggest bonus. The internet is littered with this clutter, confusing customers like you and leaving a sour taste in your mouth. What started out as a search for competitively priced dedicated services has turned into a three ring circus!

In 2002 my partner, Adam Edwards, and I decided to take the road less traveled. We realized early on that in order to create an online experience that was worthy of your time, we needed to provide information you can use - not your typical "enter your information here and we'll get back to you" elementary page. In order to do this, we invested a full year researching all of the different T1 providers in order to understand their pricing models, many of which were created decades ago. Based on information we extracted from this research, we invested heavily in complex programming that would allow us to calculate loop prices, or the cost that the local phone companies pass on to the dedicated service providers for access to their network. This cost varies by mile, by market, and by geographic region of the country. Once we rolled up our sleeves and performed extensive testing, we called our product 'GeoQuote' and released it to the public on this very web site in 2003. We are currently in the process of patenting this unique technology.

Once we began generating large amounts of volume for our suppliers, we were blessed with special rate plans and promotions that we alone could offer you, our customer. Our T1 rates are especially low in SD, particularly in Madison!

Don't be fooled by the imitators! Since we launched our site two years ago, many have attempted to copy our concept, our business model, and even our domain name! It's amazing how in-style real-time shopping has become, especially considering that the reaction we received by our vendors when we divulged our plans to create GeoQuote. Some of the reactions we received include "that can't be done - it's never been done before" and "that is an interesting business model". Now these same vendors have become believers, and our very best partners.

To date, 617,035 unbiased real-time quotes have been created by online shoppers just like you. Instead of waiting for days to even see pricing, we give it to you in just seconds. Throw in the courtesy phone call that you will receive from one of our certified broadband consultants who can answer your questions, help you design your network, give you the strengths and weaknesses of each of our providers - and you have a winning combination.

In an industry reluctant to change, we are trailblazing ahead. Thousands of lines have been sold in the past year alone, with many more on the way. The way people shop for broadband services will never be the same.

As we go forward, our goal is to continually improve our product offerings. We now offer enterprise products typically employed by larger corporations, namely: MPLS network service, gigabit ethernet, OC3, OC12, OC48, OC192, OC256, and OC768 lines delivered over a fiber optic backbone. Many of our carriers even offer free managed Cisco routers for multi-year contracts. Mostly, our goal is to build a bond with you - our customer - that will last for years to come. Earning your trust is what we do here. Saving you money on cheap T1 services is how we keep it.