The Secrets of 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? For many people the biggest factor in their decision making is reliability. You should 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 must think about replacing it with fractional T1. DSL is a quick and cost effective method of acquiring high speed bandwidth in Mosinee, however it is not intended to handle mission-critical applications or high volumes of traffic as are T1 connections.
One drawback with fractional T1 connections is the cost. Despite the fact that you don’t have a full T1, you will be paying quite a bit more than you did for your DSL connection. This is because of the fee schedule of T1 pricing. A T1 line is established by providing a "loop" or cable 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 cable that is provided by the local phone company. Once the connection reaches the CO it can access the carrier’s network and communicate with any destination. This loop is charged 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 reduction 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 building. 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 best for you, but if you are supporting critical services, think about reliability. Reliability becomes significant when customers or employees need to use your connection for immediate responses. If your clients use your connection to access 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 connections are considered critical. A critical connection can be thought of like a lifeline, without which your business would be in trouble.
