T1 Internet Service Prices and Rates Quotes in Brantford

CLECs Gain Ground with SMBs

Thursday July 17, 2008, 05:52 am ET

CEDAR HILLS, Utah, Jul. 17 /Patrick Oborn/ -- Higher productivity for small to medium sized businesses is just around the corner thanks to commercial grade broadband services that are now being delivered at a fraction of their previous cost. Due to the ever increasing competitive marketplace and a mad dash to consolidate networks, telecoms are offering their premium business services to small businesses for a fraction of what they used to cost just a few years ago. Businesses who use more than four regular phone lines can now upgrade to dynamic integrated T-carrier circuits for the same price.

The North Dakota area is one place in particular where the analog to digital revolution is gaining traction. One business owner we interviewed about his recent decision to become a digital convert, Peter Anderson, explained that "my biggest hindrance was my ignorance. Had I known that there was a solution that would allow me to increase the number of voice lines, get a full T1 (1.5 MB) of high-speed Internet, all for less than I was paying for my POTS/DSL configuration, I would have made the move a long time ago." Many others like Mr. Anderson are coming to the same conclusion.

Prior to the advent of the "all digital" integrated T-1 in 2005, customers only had one choice when it came to dedicated service: analog trunks (24 line bundles). Not only where analog trunks expensive - the average cost ranging from $800 to $1500 per month depending on the user's geographic proximity to the LECs point of presence - they could not re-allocate unused voice channels to carry data. Digital trunks, on the other hand, can reclaim voice lines not in use and put them to work carrying high-speed data packets. That means users enjoy the full 1.5 Mbps of broadband when they are not on the phone.

To see how customers are reacting to this new product, we interviewed a series of small business owners in North Dakota who are currently using the service. One such individual shared with us his enthusiasm for the enhanced capabilities dynamic service offers. "When I was first contacted about the dynamic integrated T1, I was deeply skeptical of what I was hearing. Over the course of my brief dealings with telephone companies, all I got was less service with more cost. Now I am happy to say that I am getting more for less, which makes for one very happy customer."

The only thing that can get in the way of future progress is the law. You know, the one that requires the RBOCs to lease their local loops to CLECs at a reduced rate so that the customer can get a dedicated connection between their office and the CLECs' network. If the FCC decided to lift this requirement, this whole deck of cards could come down in a hurry, and when it does, you can kiss dynamic integrated T1 service for under $500 good bye! With the help of super-CLECs like XO Communications, PAETEC, Nuvox, One Communications, Cavalier Telephone, and TelePacific, small business owners everywhere now have access to non-Bell service that is on par or better than those being offered by the former Bells. Integrated T1s that do more and cost less have transformed into a solid beach head for the newcomers.