T1 Internet Service Prices and Rates Quotes in Alpha

Dynamic T1 Services Take Root

Thursday October 23, 2008, 05:35 pm ET

DRAPER, Utah, Oct. 23 /Patrick Oborn/ -- The digital universe, and the way people connect to it, is changing. Small businesses, in particular, are discovering new high-speed Internet and telecom options that are now squarely within their budgets. Through a myriad of mergers and acquisitions, telecommunication providers have greatly enhanced their integrated T1 products with features that businesses can't live without, all while dropping the price to about half of what they were just two years ago.

"I think the telecom industry in general has turned a corner" opined Jerry Gold of Boston, Massachusetts. "They have finally developed products that are understandable by the industry outsider and, thanks to competition, priced these services in a range that most small businesses can afford. For over 20 years I dreaded dealing with 'the phone company'. But now that I've switched over to One Communications, my integrated T1 is doing everything I need it to, for under $450/month. One actually answers their customer service calls and makes me feel like I'm part of their family. It was a long time coming, but I'm finally able to end the fight with the phone company so I can focus on my sports memorabilia store."

Dynamic integrated T1s are a fairly new phenomenon. Unlike their analog counterparts that can never deviate from their initial set up configurations, dynamic T1s are able to convert voice phone calls into data packets and them prioritize their delivery through an all-digital trunk. The ability to break everything down into the lowest common denominator (digital) allows the system to change on-the-fly to reclaim phone lines for high speed Internet the second the phone call is terminated. An integrated T1 essentially provides the end user the same service as one data T1 line and one voice T1 line, for half the cost.

"Even though we have been witnessing the re-consolidation of AT&T, we will never go back to the dark ages of telecom where customers were stuck with bad customer service and high prices" commented Troy Karlson, telecom analyst for e-STAR. "The competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), all whom own their own networks and compete directly with the Bells, have created products such as dynamic T1 service that enables its customers to connect to the Internet at 1.5 MBPS and have up to 24 regular voice lines, packed with a feature-rich suite of add-ons, all for under what it costs to have 6 regular phone lines from Qwest/AT&T/Verizon.

Recent advances in technology, fostered by competition from growing CLECs, is bringing integrated T1 services to small business everywhere. And the trend doesn't look like it will change anytime soon. CLECs continue to grow their networks, offering more advanced services like metro ethernet, MPLS, and more. CLECs are continuing to find new and loyal customers in the small business space, but for how long will this trend continue? Will the RBOCs ever be able to give them a fight on a level playing field? Only the FCC knows that answer to that question - all we can do is be thankful for the past 12 years of progress and hope we never return to the pre-1996 era of Telecommunications.