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 benefits of T1 even if you’re not seeking for a complete T1? A significant number of customers consider the largest factor in their choice is reliability. You should consider it too if reliability is critical to the applications you run over your network line. If you are now using DSL for your internet connection, you should seriously consider replacing it with fractional T1. DSL is a quick and cost effective method of acquiring high speed bandwidth in Polk, however it is not intended to support mission-critical applications or high volumes of traffic as are T1 connections.
A disadvantage with fractional T1 connections is the price. Even though you won't have a full T1, you wind up paying quite a bit more than you otherwise would for your DSL connection. This is because of the fee schedule of T1 pricing. A T1 line is established by installing a "loop" or cable 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 access the carrier’s network and reach any destination. This loop is paid in full whether you use a part 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 wish 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 usually 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 connection 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 communication lines can be thought of as critical. An important connection can be viewed much like a lifeline, without which your company would be in trouble.
