T3 - Is it Right for You?
Is it time to upgrade to a T3? There are several factors to consider when examining you current DSL connection and the possiblity of replacing it. For many people the biggest factor is reliability and if reliability is critical to the applications you run over your connection you should seriously consider replacing your DSL connection with a T3. DSL is a quick and cost effective method of acquiring high speed bandwidth however it is not intended to support commercial applications or large numbers of users as is a T3 connections.

Is a T3 Connection Better than DSL?
So are you looking for reliablity or price? Reliability becomes critical when customers or employees depend on your connection for immediate responses. If your customers 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, your connections is considered critical. A critical connection can be viewed much like a life line, without which your business would be negatively impacted. Your monthly savings of having a sub-par connections will not make up for the loss in productivity of your employees or loss of customers when your DSL connections gets bogged down or cut off. To reiterate, ciritcal connections should be supported with a T3 connection.

How to Tell You Need T3 Service
Many customers are extremely price sensitive and cannot afford the cost of a T3 which can be as much as 20 times more expensive than a full T3 connection. Residential customers who are most sensitive to price should not consider a T3 circuit unless then have a business reason to pay for such a circuit and cannot access DSL service. Most people don't realize that a DSL connection can be just as fast as a T3 at 1.5Mbps. The shortcoming of DSL is that it is oversubscribed. This means there is a finite amount of bandwidth available and a customers speed can drop if other customers in the neighborhood decide to use their service. SDSL (Synchronous DSL) is a business class DSL and is ranked as a higher priority than residential DSL or ADSL (Asunchronous DSL). This means it is not oversubscribed to the extent than ADSL and is subject to fewer bandwidth restrictions. In short, if price is your critical factor go with DSL. If reliability is the critical factor purchase a dedicated T3.

Real-time T3 Price Software
With software like GeoQuote, getting a T3 price has never been easier. Finally you'll be able to use your time for real analysis rather than hunting down information. With the information in front of you you'll have the information you need to study out the right plan for you. Now you won't have to feel like you have to have a 45 minute with the local phone company just to find out how much your service will cost. As GeoQuote is an information service that's exactly what you get....Information without the sales pitch.

T3 Internet - Life in the Fast Lane
A T3 internet connection is ideal because of it's reliability. Not only is it not oversubscribed, it also has low latency which mean fewer delays. Latency becomes critical in applicaions like video on demand, webconferencing, and gaming. While the latter may not seem so important, gamers require some of the best internet connections and are a good source for information on the top internet products available.

T3 Internet Access for Dummies
Make sure your T3 product 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 penaly 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 fo the many T3 brokers on the internet.

1.54 MBPS = T3 Speed!
T3 speed connections aren't just for large corporations any more. As pricing declines many people are opting for the more reliable and flexible service over a DSL connection. Also, the growing number of bandwidth hungry applications like ASP service, VOIP, streaming video and graphic heavy files are pushing the demand for more reliable connections. So, what does it take to get one of these connections?

DS1 Service for Less Than $500
If a DS1 line is inyour near future, take the guesswork out of your search and contact a broker. Brokers are able to contact numerous providers in the time it would take you to have a conversation with one or two providers that may not even offer service in your area. Want a line for under $500? Let your broker know this and he or she will know to point you only in the direction of such companies that offer a service at this price.

DS3 Price Trends
A final reason for the reduction in DS3 pricing is the fact that equipement costs and the cost of supplying the bandwidth have decreased. This means that companies can supply the bandwidth at a lower cost. As bandwidth usage continues to increase as a result of bandwidth hungry applications like video on demand and graphic heavy applications the price of bandwidth will coninue to drop. The only factor that seems tlikely to inhibit prices from falling much further is the "last mile" or the connection from the users premise to the service providers' POP (Point of Presence), but we'll save this issue for another article. Until then, enjoy those affordable DS3's and good luck finding a price that's right for you!

T3 Line Vendor Review
Sprint also came up high in our review of T3 service plans. Sprint offers an incredible SLA (Service Level Agreement) with their service standing behind the product they offer 100%. While this may seem like something all providers do, further research will show that not all providers offer an SLA like Sprint. The third provider offering a great T3 plan is Telepacific. Unfortunately Telepacific is a regional player and only offers service in California and Las Vegas. Because of their focus they are extremely specialized and offer incredible customer support and reliability. If you're not in California you may consider moving there just to get this service!

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Cognigen.com
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