Finding the Right T1 Provider
Telecommunications agreements can be much like a marriage and as we all know there are good and bad marriages. The fact is, when you commit to a telecommunications contract with a T1 provider for an acceptable amount of bandwidth or voice service, you will need to enter into a long term contract. Telecommunications contracts for T1's and T3's typically range from 1 years to 3 years. Anything longer than a 3 year contract is frequently only seen for very large applications like OC3 and OC12 or complex frame relay connections with many nodes. While the duration of the contract will not be a drawback if you have the right provider, the contract could prove enormously troublesome with the wrong provider.
We recommend using a broker to help you through your options and explain to you the providers and services offered in Hillsboro. A broker or independent agent can help reduce the time it takes you to shop around for a T1 provider by asking you the questions once and searching through multiple providers to acquire the service that is right for you. The agent helps steer clear of the bias you will receive when speaking with one vendor because the agent will be paid no matter which service you choose. As the agent doesn't work with a specific provider like AT&T or Sprint, he or she will not pressure you in that direction if they are not right for you.
Keep in mind that the T1 provider you decide on will be your partner for quite some time so take caution in your decision. The worst thing with being with a bad provider is the fact that it will affect your business. Dropped calls or an Internet connection that goes down can be devastating to a business. We found that the larger companies like AT&T and Sprint will release companies from long term contracts it if is shown that the voice or data T1 service was defective on a regular basis, however the release from such a contract will not help recoup the damages of the lost calls and e-mails from the poor service. When shopping for a T1 provider we advise using a broker and asking for referrals from current customers to give you a clue of what you can expect.
